Infant Safe Sleep
The Coalition encourages all families to follow the A, B, Cs of infant safe sleep. To reduce the risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), all babies should sleep Alone, on their Back, in a Crib. To support eligible Marion County families who lack a safe sleeping space for their infants, the Coalition provides safe sleep education and portable cribs.
Requirements include:
- Marion County residency: Provide valid driver’s license/ID, current lease, or utility bill from within the past 60 days.
- Child between the ages of birth to 12 months: Provide Medicaid card or birth certificate
Services are available Thursdays by appointment only. For more information, call 352-369-2315 ext. 212 or email ParentingPrograms@ELC-Marion.org.
SIDS is the diagnosis given for the sudden death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation, which includes an autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the symptoms or illnesses the infant had prior to dying and any other pertinent medical history.
One of the easiest ways to lower the risk of SIDS is to put your baby on his or her back to sleep. Prior to 1992, doctors told mothers to place babies on their stomachs to sleep. Research now shows that fewer babies die of SIDS when they sleep on their backs. Click Here for more information from the American Academy of Pediatrics on how to keep your sleeping baby safe.
