How Breastfeeding Supports Safe Sleep in Babies

Whether you’re expecting your first bundle of joy or settling into the rhythm of new parenthood, creating a quiet, calm and safe sleep area for your baby is essential. But did you know breastfeeding can be incorporated into your safe sleep routine? 

Breastfeeding and safe sleep 

Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits, from mental to physical, for both the mother and the child. For the mother, some of these benefits can include a reduction in her risk for diabetes and even some cancers later in life. For the baby, benefits can include protection against some illnesses and infections, such as respiratory tract infections. But one of the benefits that may not be as widely known is that breastfeeding can reduce the risk for sudden infant death syndrome, commonly known as SIDS, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

SIDS, or the sudden, unexpected death of a baby younger than one year of age that doesn’t have a known cause even after a complete investigation, is one of the leading causes of infancy deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recent research shows that babies who are exclusively breastfed, or fed human milk pumped from the breast, have a reduced risk of SIDS in comparison to babies who have not had breast milk at all. 

In fact, the study shows that the longer the child has breast milk exclusively, the more protection they have. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends feeding only human milk exclusively for the first six months of a baby’s life, unless health conditions make breastfeeding not ideal. After that, they advise supplementing breast milk into the child’s diet for one year or longer, depending on the preference of both the mother and the child. 

Safe sleep guidelines and recommendations 

While breastfeeding can be incorporated into your safe sleep routine, it is also important to follow the safe sleep guidelines and recommendations laid out by Safe to Sleep® to ensure your child is safe and sound, even while breastfeeding. Below are some tips to help keep your baby safe during nighttime feedings.

• Practice room sharing: This is key to reducing your baby’s risk when breastfeeding. Keeping your baby’s sleep area in your room next to your bed makes it easier to comfort or feed, especially overnight. That way, when you are finished feeding, you can place the baby back into their own sleep area, like a safety-approved crib or a bassinet, and you can go back to sleep knowing they are safe. 

• Assess how tired you are: Before beginning a feeding session, you should get a feel for how tired you are. If there is a chance you may fall asleep during the feeding, make some changes to your environment to ensure a safe sleep setting. For example, if you bring the baby into your bed with you, remove pillows, soft comforters, quilts or anything that may pose a risk for suffocation or entrapment to the baby. While it’s best to avoid falling asleep with your baby in your bed, if you do, Safe to Sleep® encourages parents, once they wake up, to place the baby back into their sleep area onto their backs. 

• Ask someone to stay with you during the feeding: You can also ask someone to stay with you while you’re breastfeeding, so they can wake you up if you start dozing off or help put the baby in the crib if you fall asleep. 

Other recommendations to create a safe sleep environment and reduce the risk of SIDS include: 

• Place your baby on their back to sleep for naps and at night.
• Use a firm, flat sleep surface covered by a fitted sheet, such as a crib, bassinet, portable crib, etc., that conforms to the safety standards listed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
• Keep soft objects and loose bedding, like pillows, comforters, etc., out of the baby’s sleep area.
• Avoid bed sharing or having your baby sleep on a bed, couch or a chair alone, with you or anyone else.
• Don’t let your baby get overheated during sleep.
• Give your baby a pacifier that isn’t attached to a string during naps and at night. This should be established after starting a breastfeeding routine. 
• Avoid smoking or nicotine during your pregnancy and after the baby is born.
• Sitting devices like bouncy seats or swings shouldn’t be used for routine sleep.
• Follow your health care provider’s guidance on your baby’s vaccines and regular health checkups.
• Utilize our interactive safe sleep environment tool to learn how to create a safe sleep area for your baby. 

How INTEGRIS Health can help 

We are committed to helping new and expectant parents navigate what can be an exciting yet stressful time in their lives. INTEGRIS Health offers several classes such as Baby Basics and Successful Breastfeeding to prepare parents for their new arrival. For breastfeeding consultations, INTEGRIS Health has several full-time lactation consultants who offer outpatient lactation support by appointment. Additionally, we’re proud to offer a Milk Bar lactation support group for women seeking guidance from a lactation specialist, or just to meet and learn from new parents. 

Finally, because of this commitment, multiple INTEGRIS Health facilities were recognized by the Safe Sleep Hospital Certification program. This includes INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center, which was recognized as a National Certified Gold Safe Sleep Hospital, due to our commitment to best practices and education on infant safe sleep. 

Interactive safe sleep environment tool

Learn how to create a safe sleep environment for the baby in your home by exploring our interactive room. A safe sleep environment can help reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death, like suffocation.