Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) Gainesville and Braselton campuses have been designated as “Georgia Safe to Sleep Hospitals” by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
As a “Georgia Safe to Sleep Hospital,” NGMC is committed to educating mothers, fathers, grandparents and other caregivers about the importance of putting babies to bed following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations, known as the “ABCs of safe sleep”:
Alone – Babies should sleep alone in their own sleep space close to, but separate from, their caregiver.
Back – Babies should be placed on their back to sleep. Every nap. Every sleep. Every time.
Crib – Babies should sleep in a crib or bassinet with a firm, flat surface with no extra things such as crib bumpers, blankets or toys.
“This is an initiative we truly believe in,” said Heather Standard, director of Women and Children’s Services at NGMC Gainesville. “Many caregivers, especially first-time parents or grandparents, don’t realize the risks of improper sleeping arrangements. By educating our families and patients about best practices for sleeping, we hope to do our part in reducing infant mortality rates across our communities.”
As a designated “Safe to Sleep Hospital,” NGMC has implemented a policy that calls for educating staff and parents, modeling safe sleep practices while the babies are in the hospital and providing educational materials for families to read and take home. In addition, NGMC completes monthly crib audits to evaluate safe sleep recommendation compliance and to reinforce safe sleep education with families.
For more information about NGMC’s Women and Children’s Services, please visit www.nghs.com/women-children.
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ABOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA HEALTH SYSTEM
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is a non-profit on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. Our team cares for almost 1 million people across the region through three hospitals and a variety of outpatient locations. Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has three hospital campuses – NGMC Gainesville, NGMC Braselton and NGMC Barrow – with a total of 713 beds and more than 700 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. Learn more at www.nghs.com