Spartanburg Medical Center is proud to announce that it has achieved certification as a Gold Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital. 

This certification recognizes Spartanburg Medical Center's commitment to best practices in infant safe sleep, ensuring the highest standards of care for our youngest patients. By earning this certification, Spartanburg Medical Center demonstrates adherence to rigorous guidelines established by the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. 

Cribs for Kids® is a national safe sleep initiative dedicated to reducing infant mortality. 

“Sleep-related deaths are the number one reason we lose our babies each year — 3,400 infants annually,” said Dr. Michael H. Goodstein, neonatologist and medical director at Cribs for Kids. “We know that parents do at home what they see done in the hospital, so modeling safe sleep and providing education to families will have an impact on infant mortality.” 

As a Cribs for Kids partner, Spartanburg Medical Center is taking steps toward reducing and preventing infant deaths. Community partnerships allow for the distribution of portable cribs at no cost to families being served, said Penny Shaw, program coordinator for Safe Kids of the Piedmont. 

Parents who disclose they are co-sleeping with their infant or state they do not have a safe space for their baby to sleep are sent home with a portable crib, said Shaw, who added she then follows up with the family after three months and again at one year to make sure they are using the provided crib appropriately. 

Part of being a gold certification holder is ensuring that all staff members are educated in safe sleep practices. This is yet another testament to the hospital’s commitment to infant safety. 

“Our goal is that every child born at Spartanburg Medical Center has the opportunity to have a successful first year of life and remains protected from unsafe sleep-related injuries that can be prevented with the right education and resources,” Shaw said. “We are asking that all hospitals, doctor’s offices and community partners remain diligent and consistent in the importance of safe sleep practices, focusing on the ABCs of Safe Sleep and encouraging caregivers to reach out to their local resources to obtain safe sleep environments.” 

The ABCs of Safe Sleep include: 

• keeping baby alone in the crib without any blankets, plush toys or bumpers. 
• keeping baby on their back when sleeping. 
• always putting baby in an actual crib for sleeping instead of co-sleeping or putting them in another setting. 

“The National Infant Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program launched in 2015. It is rooted in the Safe Sleep recommendations made by American Academy of Pediatrics and the research that demonstrates families do at home what they see done in the hospital,” said Judy Bannon, CEO, and founder of Cribs for Kids. 

There are more than 500 infant safe sleep certified hospitals across the U.S. and beyond, Bannon said. She said Spartanburg Medical Center adhering to such standards “will have a profound effect on saving babies’ lives.” 

For more information about Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program, visit cribsforkids.org/hospitalcertification.