Mercer Health’s Childbirth Center has recently been recognized as a “Gold Safe Sleep Hospital” by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program, run by Cribs for Kids®. This designation was given due to their commitment to following best practices and providing education on infant safe sleep.
The program was created to recognize hospitals that take an active role in reducing preventable deaths related to sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and accidental suffocation. As a Nationally Certified Safe Sleep Hospital, Mercer Health follows the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and provides training programs for healthcare team members and family caregivers at the highest available designation level.
Dr. Michael H. Goodstein, neonatologist and medical director of research at Cribs for Kids, said that sleep-related deaths (SRD) result in the loss of more than 3,500 infants every year in the U.S. He explained that modeling safe infant sleep in hospitals and providing education to families can significantly reduce these preventable deaths. The Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program is designed to recognize those hospitals that are taking an active role in reducing these deaths.
Ashley Piper, RN, OB Clinical Coordinator for the Childbirth Center at Mercer Health, expressed pride in their efforts to join the national movement to reduce infant mortality. She stated that they have always been promoters of safe sleep and that this certification is an important step towards providing parents and caregivers with evidence-based information on how to ensure their babies sleep safely from day one.
For more information about the Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program or the Childbirth Center at Mercer Health, visit
The picture included shows Ashley Piper & Danielle Dues, Childbirth Center Manager holding a certificate with Gold label signifying their achievement as a “Gold Safe Sleep Hospital”.