Greenwich Hospital Maternity Department earns national recognition for promoting
safe sleep practices
The maternity staff at Greenwich Hospital with their award from the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program.
Newborn baby at Greenwich Hospital in the HALO Sleep Sack.
The designation marks a pivotal step toward the hospital’s goal of educating staff and patients on infant safe sleep. It comes after the maternity department’s introduction of the HALO Sleep Sack – a wearable blanket that keeps babies warm and safely bundled while promoting safe sleep practices and decreasing the risks associated with sudden infant death syndrome. Newborn families are gifted the blanket at the hospital and provided education on how to use it, so babies can stay safe after they are discharged.
“It’s an honor to receive this recognition,” said Patricia Basciano, nursing director for women’s services and pediatrics at Greenwich Hospital. “Our maternity team is dedicated to enhancing the patient experience, and it brings us great joy to educate families about safe sleep practices so they can implement them at home.”
Over 3,500 babies in the U.S. die each year from sleep-related deaths. The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids, a national infant safe sleep organization dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related injuries and deaths due to sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and accidental suffocation.
Greenwich Hospital is now recognized as a Nationally Certified Safe Sleep Hospital for following the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and providing training programs for healthcare team members, and safe sleep education to family and caregivers.
