While there is nothing like cuddling a newborn baby, there are plenty of ways parents can bond safely. Co-sleeping or sharing a bed should never be one of them.
“Sleeping next to your newborn is dangerous and can even be fatal,” says Dr. Rebecca Reamy, specializing in pediatric emergency medicine with Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Hospital.
She’s seen babies die from suffocation and other causes after co-sleeping. Lately, those cases have been on the rise.
“The best place for a baby is in a crib or a bassinet,” explained Dr. Reamy. When babies are young, she encourages parents to keep the crib or bassinet in their bedroom. She is also an advocate for the Safe Sleep public health campaign.
Piedmont, Safe Kids Columbus, Emory University, Georgia Department of Public Health, First Candle, are joining other organizations to host the symposium on safe sleep best practices for babies.
It will be held on Wednesday, October 22, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm at the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital, 616 19th Street, in Columbus. You can be present or attend the symposium virtually via zoom.
The target audience is professionals who counsel, educate or provide health information to parents or caregivers including nurses, medical students, health care providers, childcare directors and others.
Attendees must pre-register online at Piedmont.org/safesleep25. Registered attendees for the in-person session will receive a free boxed lunch.
The Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital at Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown is the area’s only children’s hospital. Pediatric surgery, critical care, hospital services, child life services, infusion services, endocrinology and neurology are some of the key services the hospital provides patients from birth to age 18.
A significant renovation and expansion are taking place to increase critical care capacity at the Midtown Campus. The project will include 43 new ICU beds and a renovated 15-bed nursing unit. Construction is tentatively set to be completed in March 2026.
