Statement from the Minister of Health on Canada’s First Annual Safe Sleep Week 2022
Statement
March 14, 2022 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada
Today, we are launching Canada’s first annual Safe Sleep Week, which promotes safe sleep practices for parents and caregivers of young infants. Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are working in collaboration with Baby’s Breath Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society, to promote Safe Sleep Week under the theme: Safe Sleep – All day and all night. This theme highlights the importance of following safe sleep practices for babies every time they sleep, whether for naptime or nighttime.
Sudden infant deaths during sleep that involve a baby who seems healthy remain a significant concern for Canadians. In fact, babies who are four months old and younger are the most at risk for sleep-related deaths, so it is important to develop a safe sleep routine from the beginning.
There are things parents and caregivers can do to lower the risk. For example, babies should sleep on their backs in a smoke-free, safe sleep space, which is a firm surface with a tight-fitted sheet, no gaps between the mattress and the sides, and no loose soft bedding, pillows or toys. Remember – back is best!
This year’s theme of Safe Sleep – All day and all night aims to help parents and caregivers distinguish between baby products intended for sleep, and those intended for transport or play. While sleeping in a seated position or on an incline, a baby’s head can fall forward making it hard to breathe. A baby who has drifted off in a car seat or infant swing should be transferred to a safe sleep space as soon as possible. A crib, cradle or bassinet that meets current safety regulations is the safest place for a baby to sleep.
For up-to-date, evidence-based information and recommendations on safe sleep for infants, health care providers can consult the Joint Statement on Safe Sleep: Reducing Sudden Infant Deaths in Canada, and parents and caregivers can read the updated version of the Safe Sleep for your Baby brochure.
This Safe Sleep Week and every day, I encourage you to help us spread the word so that all parents and caregivers in Canada can provide the safest sleep environment possible for their babies.
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P.
Contacts
Marie-France Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
613-957-0200
Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca