Baby’s Safe Sleep Awareness Week

This week, the Department of Health (Health) is celebrating Baby’s Sleep Week with this year's theme of Decorate the room, not the crib from March 11 to 15, 2024.

To support this, Health’s Baby’s Safe Sleep campaign has launched Nunavut’s new Newborn Wellness Kits to every expecting parent in Nunavut attending their pre-natal appointments. These kits offer essential items like an infant sleep sack, baby health care kit, and educational tools in a diaper bag, aiding parents in maintaining a safe sleep setting for their newborn and promotes healthier families and ensuring all Nunavut children have a healthy start in life.

Ways to provide a safe sleep environment for your baby include:

• Always place a baby on their back to sleep in a sleep sack or light clothing.
• Babies should sleep alone in a crib, cradle, or bassinet next to their caregiver for the first six months.
• Ensure a baby’s sleep space meets current Canadian safety regulations.
• Avoid soft and loose bedding and toys.
• Providing a smoke-free and substance-free environment.
• Breastfeeding for at least the first two months can reduce the risk of infant sleep related deaths by half.
• Avoid overheating and head covering in infants.

The Department of Health encourages parents and caregivers to create a safe sleep environment for infants to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

For more information on creating a safe sleep environment and reducing the risk of SIDS, contact your local health centre, or visit the Healthy Living website.