UAMS First Arkansas Hospital Certified Gold for Infant Safe Sleep Practice
| June 9, 2016 | The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is the first hospital in Arkansas to receive the gold certification from Cribs for Kids for its commitment to reducing infant sleep-related deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), through best safety practices, community outreach and education.
UAMS is one of 44 hospitals in the nation with the designation, the highest of three from Cribs for Kids, a national organization dedicated to infant sleep-related death prevention.
UAMS garnered the designation by adopting a safe sleep policy, including using and promoting wearable blankets, a safe alternative to traditional infant blankets; training staff and educating parents on safe sleep practices in the hospital and at home; conducting community outreach activities; and providing safe sleep alternatives to at-risk parents in the community.
“As Arkansas’ academic health center, we have an obligation to all our communities to model safe sleep and promote those practices throughout the state,” said Rebecca Sartini, clinical services manager in the UAMS Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit.
According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, there are about 3,500 sudden unexpected infant deaths each year, including about 1,500 deaths caused by SIDS.
“Recent data consistently show many more babies die as a result of SIDS than all other causes combined, including car accidents. Safe sleep will help prevent most of those deaths,” said R. Whit Hall, M.D., a neonatologist and professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics. “This is a wonderful step by UAMS to lead the state in promoting safe sleep practices and educating parents so more babies will be able to celebrate their first birthday.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###