Have you seen the TikTok videos where moms rave about co-sleeping with their babies? Or the trend of decking out your crib with plush pillows and toys?
These online trends may get thousands of likes, but health officials in Indianapolis are raising alarm.
Shanaya Macon, the director of Maternal and Child Health Health at the Marion County Public Health Department, has seen videos of parents sleeping in the same bed as their baby, or allowing other siblings to do so.
“These are extremely unsafe practices, and they’re contributing to infant mortality,” Macon told Mirror Indy.
The health department said about 17% of Marion County’s infant deaths in 2023 were Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths, an umbrella term for instances where an infant dies before their first birthday without an obvious cause. These cases include accidental sleep suffocation or asphyxia.
There are many things parents can do to prevent these tragedies.
- Babies should sleep alone and separately from any parents or siblings
- Keep cribs free of pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads and other objects
- Babies should be placed on their backs while sleeping; placing them on their stomach can make it difficult for them to breathe
- Babies should not sleep in loose blankets; instead parents can use sleep sacks, which are wearable mini sleeping bags
- Bond with your child by sleeping in the same room — not the same bed
To learn more about safe sleep, check out the Indiana Department of Health’s resource page.
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Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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