Local hospital presented with safe sleep award

There were 45 sudden unexpected infant deaths in Nebraska during 2012 and 2013.
Those deaths occurred in 16 different counties, covering both urban and rural areas. At least 35 occurred in an unsafe sleep environment.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) worked with the Nebraska Hospital Association, the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative to launch the Nebraska Safe Sleep Hospital Campaign.
Chase County Community Hospital (CCCH) was named a Safe Sleep Champion earlier this month.
“A few things we had to do for this was implement annual education for all nursing staff, audit our newborns in the hospital for safe sleep practices, educate patients and our policy for safe sleep for newborns had to reflect that of the State of Nebraska,” said Shannon Kuhlmann, Head of Labor & Delivery at CCCH.
The campaign provides evidence-based education and training to parents of newborns as well as hospital staff.
“Providing consistent training and education on safe sleep for all hospital personnel caring for children under a year old ensures the same safe sleep message is shared with the parents of more than 26,000 babies born in Nebraska every year,” said Dr. Tom Williams, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Public Health for DHHS.
“An increase in safe sleep awareness will result in more babies sleeping in safe environments and reaching their first birthday,” he said.
The Safe Sleep Campaign starts within the hospital setting, encouraging all Nebraska birthing hospitals to become a Safe Sleep Hospital Champion.
To be considered a Safe Sleep Champion, the hospital signs a pledge, creates or updates a Safe Sleep Policy, provides yearly education to hospital personnel, models safe sleep recommendations and educates parents with evidence-based safe sleep materials in accordance with Nebraska Revised Statute 71-2103 and the 2016 American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep Recommendations.
The ABCs of Safe Sleep
A—Your baby should always sleep alone.
B—Your baby should always sleep on his or her back.
C—Your baby should always sleep in a safe crib.
Learn more about safe sleep and how to create a safe sleep environment at dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/MCAH/Documents/SafeSleepofBaby.pdf.