MONTGOMERY– The Alabama Department of Public Health is urging families to follow safe sleep practices for infants during October’s National SIDS Awareness Month. Its message is straightforward: Babies should sleep alone, on their backs, in a clear crib.
The department says 414 Alabama infants died before their first birthday in 2024. Of those deaths, officials classified 65 as sudden unexpected infant deaths, or SUIDs. That category includes sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation or strangulation, and deaths for which investigators could not determine a cause. However, the 65 cases were not all classified as SIDS.
ADPH says some deaths listed as undetermined occurred in unsafe sleep environments. A safer sleep space can help reduce the risk of sleep-related death, although it cannot eliminate every risk.
What a Clear Crib Means
The agency promotes the ABCs of infant sleep: Alone, on their Back, in a Crib. First, place the baby on a firm, flat mattress with a tightly fitted sheet. Also, keep pillows, loose blankets, bumper pads, stuffed animals, and other loose items out of the sleep area. ADPH advises removing baby hats before sleep.
ADPH advises caregivers to keep an infant’s sleep space in their room while using a separate surface. That means sharing a room without sharing a bed. The department also cautions against using sofas, recliners, or other soft surfaces as substitutes for a crib.
The guidance applies to naps as well as nighttime sleep. ADPH Region I perinatal coordinator Tana-Kae Lewis also encourages families to plan ahead for nighttime wakeups, when fatigue can make safe sleep decisions harder.
A Challenge to Spread the Message
To demonstrate what belongs in an infant’s sleep area, ADPH is promoting the National Institutes of Health’s #ClearTheCrib challenge. Participants remove unsafe items from a mock crib while leaving a doll, representing the baby, in a safe position. The timed activity aims to start conversations about reducing sleep hazards.
ADPH invites residents, organizations, and community groups to share challenge videos and safe sleep information using #ClearTheCrib and #SafeSleepAL. The department also offers instructions and other resources on its safe sleep page.
Families who cannot afford a safe place for an infant to sleep can seek help through Cribs for Kids, a nonprofit that connects caregivers with safe sleep resources.
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