Guidelines for Sleeping Safely With Your Baby

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Use a non-toxic, natural mattress to avoid toxic gas and chemical exposure more info...

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Use a large bed with a firm, clean mattress that fits snugly against the rail or is flush up against a wall. The mattress should tightly intersect the bed-frame.

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Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed. Use a mesh guardrail and be sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress and fill in any crevice with a rolled-up baby blanket or towel.

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Baby should sleep next to mother, rather than between mother and father.

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There should not be any stuffed animals or pillows around the baby, and the baby should never be placed to sleep on top of a pillow.

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Don't use sheepskins or fluffy bedding or cover baby with comforters, etc.

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Do not use a water bed.

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Do not put baby to sleep on a beanbag chair or mattress.

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Babies should never sleep on couches or sofas, with or without adults, where they can slip down (face first) into the crevice or get wedged against the back of a couch.

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Do not sleep with your baby if you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or sleep-inducing over-the-counter medications or if you are overly exhausted from sleep deprivation

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Do not let baby sleep unattended on an adult bed.

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Don't overly cover and bundle the baby, because they get additional warmth from the mother's body. Overheating can be dangerous to babies. Use only light, comfortable 100% cotton blankets and bedding. The baby’s head should never be covered.

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Extremely obese persons, who may not feel where exactly or how close their infant is, may wish to have the infant sleep alongside but on a different surface.

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Always place baby to sleep on their back.