KCH earns Infant Safe Sleep Hospital certification
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 4, 2025) – Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) was recently awarded certification as a bronze level Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital. This certification recognizes health care team members’ commitment to best practices in infant safe sleep, ensuring the highest standards of care for the youngest patients.
Cribs for Kids is a national safe sleep initiative dedicated to reducing infant mortality. By earning this certification, KCH demonstrated adherence to rigorous guidelines established by the Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program.
“Sleep related deaths are the number one reason we lose our babies each year — 3,400 infants annually,” said Michael H. Goodstein, M.D., 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. Cribs for Kids program recognizes hospitals making this commitment.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2020, Kentucky’s rate of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) annually is among the 10 highest in the nation. The term SUID is used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1 year old, often during sleep or in the baby’s sleep area due to accidental suffocation or strangulation in a sleeping environment.
“Our team has worked diligently to achieve this certification, which reflects our commitment to protecting Kentucky’s babies,” said Sarah Heck, chief administrative officer at KCH. “At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, we want every family across the Commonwealth to feel confident that their newborn is receiving the safest care possible, including safe sleep practices guided by Cribs for Kids.”
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. KCH is one of the 500 infant safe sleep certified hospitals across the country and beyond.
Learn more about how to implement safe sleep practices in your home.
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For more information about Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program, visit www.cribsforkids.org/hospitalcertification.
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