JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s Hospital are teaming up with the Jaguars Foundation to help parents keep their newborns safe.
Last week, the hospital rolled out adorable new Jaguars-themed sleep sacks designed to promote safe sleep.
It’s a different kind of Jags swag, but these adorable sleep sacks are much more than a fashion statement.
“We know that we have a high infant mortality in our areas,” said Jessica Winberry, Prevention Coordinator at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “And so, our goal is to keep every baby safe through their first birthday.”
Winberry said in a lot of these cases, suffocation is a risk with unsafe sleep.
Serina White and her husband, just had their third child, Jonas. Serina said they know someone who recently lost a child.
“It’s more real and closer than you think. It’s funny because throughout the night I was checking his breathing just to make sure he was okay,” White said. “Having him sleep on his back. I’ve always known that, but culturally, different cultures have different beliefs. And sometimes the baby is like, supposed to sleep on their side, versus their back. In our culture, they think the head is going to be flat if you stick him on his back. My kids always slept on their back.”
The new mom and dad got a demonstration of how the sleep sacks work.
Each kit comes with its own sleep sack, but that’s not all. It also comes with an information card and even more directions about how to safely put your baby to sleep. But it also comes with a book called “Sleep Baby, Sleep and Snug.” It was written by a family that experienced this tragedy firsthand.
Healthcare experts say when it comes to safe sleep, parents need to follow simple steps.
- Lay babies down on their backs on a flat, firm mattress
- Make sure there’s only a fitted sheet; no blankets or stuffed animals
- And share a room with your baby, not a bed
“When parents go home, they’re awfully tired. They may be on medication. Moms may be on medication, which makes them additionally drowsy. So, we always want to make sure baby gets back into their own sleep environment. So, we don’t have a tragedy with our sweet little ones,” Winberry said.
As for baby Jonas, who knows, this new look could be a sign of what’s to come.
“My thought is, maybe he’ll grow up to be a Jaguar player,” White said laughing.