WHEELING — WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital is partnering with a national organization making sure every baby sleeps comfortably — and safely.

The hospital has joined with Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Initiative, a nonprofit organization that aims to help every baby sleep safer. This partnership underscores Wheeling’s commitment to promoting safe sleep practices for infants to help reduce the number of infant mortalities due to Sudden Unexpected Infant Death.

Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Initiative provides preventative programming, safe sleep education, and safe infant products to families, healthcare professionals, and community organizations. Since its inception, Cribs for Kids has distributed more than 900,000 no-cost cribs to families in need.

Sleep-related deaths result in the loss of thousands of infants every year in the United States. Research indicates that the vast majority are accidental and are due to babies sleeping in unsafe environments. WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital wants to teach parents and caregivers that the safest way for a baby to sleep is alone, on their back, in a bare, safety-approved crib. In addition to educational tools, qualifying families will receive safe, portable cribs if they cannot otherwise afford one.

“At Wheeling Hospital, the safety and well-being of our youngest patients is always a top priority,” said Jennifer Riley, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Officer at Wheeling Hospital. “Partnering with Cribs for Kids allows us to extend that commitment beyond our walls by helping families create safe sleep environments at home. Every baby deserves a safe start, and this initiative helps give parents the tools and education they need to protect their children from preventable sleep-related risks.”

From 2018 to 2022, 23 states or jurisdictions reported Sudden Unexplained Infant Death rates higher than the national average of 94.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. West Virginia was among them, with a rate of 148 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Through this partnership, Wheeling Hospital will collaborate with Cribs for Kids to support our community in reducing these numbers and improving infant health outcomes.

To learn more about infant safe sleep guidelines and Cribs for Kids mission to help every baby sleep safer, visit www.cribsforkids.org.