Mercy Medical Center Achieves National Safe Sleep Certification Through Cribs for Kids

SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center has been recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a Bronze Safe Sleep Hospital for its commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep.

The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids, a national infant safe-sleep organization. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Cribs for Kids is dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related injuries and deaths due to sudden unexpected infant death and accidental suffocation. As a nationally certified Safe Sleep Hospital, Mercy Medical Center is recognized for following the safe-sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and providing training programs for healthcare team members and safe-sleep education to family and caregivers.

“Sleep-related death results in the loss of more than 3,500 infants every year in the U.S.,” said Dr. Michael Goodstein, neonatologist and medical director of Research at Cribs for Kids. “We know that modeling safe infant sleep in the hospital and providing education to families has a significant effect on infant mortality. The Cribs for Kids Hospital Certification Program is designed to recognize those hospitals that are taking an active role in reducing these preventable injuries and deaths.”

Dr. Elizabeth Rottenberg, chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the Family Life Center at Mercy Medical Center, added that “we are proud to join the national effort to reduce infant mortality. The Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification is an important step in our efforts to provide parents and caregivers with the evidence-based information they need to ensure their babies sleep safely from day one.”