Power of SUNY

Stony Brook University’s Children’s Hospital Launches Giveaway Program to Prevent SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant death in this country, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. At Stony Brook Long Island Children’s Hospital, the staff is dedicated to educating parents on the dangers of SIDS and encouraging preventative measures that can help to avoid the syndrome—especially during the colder months, when, according to the National Institutes of Health, infants are at a higher risk because caregivers tend to use extra blankets for warmth.

Stony Brook Children’s has expanded its commitment to reducing the incidence of SIDS with a new program that helps to emphasize good sleep habits at home. Each baby discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is sent home with a HALO SleepSack, a wearable blanket that replaces loose blankets in the crib that can cover the baby’s face and interfere with breathing. It helps babies to sleep more safely—and more soundly, because the warm blanket can’t be kicked off.

The SleepSack giveaway program at Stony Brook Children’s was started with assistance from The Little Angel Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to offer information, increase awareness, educate, and comfort families throughout the NICU experience. The SleepSack program will continue with support from the Hospital’s Gift Shop, which has agreed to donate one SleepSack to the NICU giveaway program for each one they sell in the gift shop.