Families in need can get free portable cribs from the state as part of an effort highlighting the importance of creating a safe-sleep environment for infants. The New Mexico Department of Health announced it’s spreading the word in honor of Safe Sleep Awareness Month.
NMDOH says using safe sleep practices can reduce the risk of accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, and other types of Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths.
In New Mexico, the DOH says Sudden Unexpected Infant Death is the third leading cause of infant fatalities at an average of 110 per year from 2020-2024, the latest year for which there is data.
New Mexico’s numbers work out to about 93.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s under the national average of 106.6.
The DOH offers a free Safe Sleep training course. After successfully completing it, families can submit a request to receive a free Pack N’ play crib.
In the announcement, NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said, “every infant in the state deserves a safe start in life, and there are simple steps everyone can take to ensure that happens.”
NMDOH recommends always placing infants on their back on a firm, flat surface designed for infant sleep. Remember to keep pillows, toys, loose bedding and other objects out of the baby’s sleep space, which should be in the parent’s room for the first six months of life.
When infants are awake, NMDOH encourages supervised tummy time, where an infant lies on their stomach, building crucial neck, shoulder, and upper body strength.
More information is on the DOH’s Safe Sleep website.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
