Children’s of Alabama
Dr. Erinn Schmit is a physician at Children’s Hospital with an interest in safe sleep for infants.
Q: Dr. Erinn Schmit, tell me about safe sleep and why it's one of your interests.
A: I’ve always been passionate about it because it affects so many babies in the country and Alabama specifically. 3,500 babies in the United States die every year from a sleep-related death such as sudden infant deathsyndrome or strangulation. This is disproportionately high in Alabama. The tragedy is that lots of cases would be preventable if all babies slept in a safe environment. This gets a lot of attention early on after birth, but then parents tend to forget after leaving the nursery. So I’m working to emphasize safe sleep to all parents with kids under one year of age.
Q: What's the biggest safe sleep takeaway you hope parents get from this article?
A: I like to teach parents ABCs: Alone, Back and Crib. All babies under 1 year should be sleeping by themselves, in an empty sleep space without pillows, blankets or bumpers. They should be put on their back because this greatly decreases instances of death. Babies should be sleeping in a crib, pack and play or bassinet — something approved for babies. It's dangerous for babies to sleep in adult bed, and it’s more dangerous for babies to sleep on the couch or armchair.
Q: Why do you think so many parents ignore this advice?
A: It's really common that parents want to keep babies close to them, and they feel like they keep them safer when they're close. But there’s the possibility of rolling over onto the baby, and a mattress is way too soft, so there is a higher risk of suffocation. We recommend babies sleep in the same room, just not the same sleep surface. So maybe you can have them sleep in a pack and play or bassinet next to you, and then you can pull them toward you in the middle of the night if you need to feed, for example.
Q: Why did you choose to work at Children’s?
A: I’ve been at Children’s since 2012, when I started my pediatrics residency there. I joined the faculty in 2018. It's a really awesome institution, and it’s the only freestanding Children's hospital in the state. This means it’s a great opportunity for the patients to have a full suite of pediatric services. I’ve wanted to be a pediatrician since I was a little girl, and that never changed through my school and my residency. I’ve always felt mostat home working with kids. I enjoy seeing things throughtheir eyes.
Q: Why do you feel passionate about your job?
A: It's one of the greatest privileges in the world to work with kids and have parents trust us with their kids. Kids are a parent’s greatest possession, so it's an honor when they bring in their kids and trust us with their care.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to include?
A: I’d like to mention other safe sleep related things. We recommend that parents and caregivers avoid any tobacco use, because exposure to secondhand smoke increases SIDS.
There’s also a risk of strangulation with cords, such as the cord of a video monitor. Video monitors should be mounted to the wall, and the baby should not be able to get his or her hand on the cord. Babies can get a cord wrapped around their neck when they’re sleeping too close to the cord for the baby monitor or even the cord to adjust window blinds.
We recommend babies are put to sleep in just a sleep garment such as pajamas and a wearable blanket — no loose or fluffy blankets because those are a suffocation risk. Younger babies can sleep in a swaddle, but when they are old enough to roll over, we recommend parents stop swaddling but put their babies in a wearable blanket.
Parents can always talk to their baby’s pediatrician for advice and to ask questions. We know that regular visits to the pediatrician and regular vaccinations are protective measures parents can take for their babies.
