Dr. Lewis First (Provided photo)

Parents of new babies have been asking me more and more questions about what the best and safest way is to put their infants down to sleep.

Well, I don’t want to lie down on the job on this one – so let me provide some information on the subject.

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with an updated set of safe sleep guidelines that emphasize the “ABCs” of safe sleep for infants under a year of age to prevent a sudden unexpected infant death which occurs in about 3,500 infants in the US annually.

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The ABCs of safe sleep

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“A” stands for “alone” – meaning your baby should sleep alone, not with other people, stuffed animals, pillows or blankets.

“B” stands for back-sleeping and napping, to allow your baby to breathe more freely, not sleeping on their side or stomach until your baby learns to roll over on their own.

“C” stands for crib, which is the best place for a baby to sleep, not in an adult bed, or on a sofa, cushion or other sleep surface. Bassinets and portable cribs are also acceptable if they meet the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The bedding you use should include a firm flat mattress.

Crib bumpers should be removed from the crib in addition to all other objects including blankets and pillows.

If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing or infant carrier or sling, they should be moved to a firm sleep surface and on their back as soon as possible.

These new safe sleep guidelines also call for room-sharing for baby and parent at least for the first six months of life and optimally for the first year of life — which has been found to decrease the rate of sudden unexpected infant death by as much as 50% — and remember room-sharing does not mean bed-sharing.

You can certainly bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort but when you are ready to go to sleep, then place your baby back into their crib as a safe sleep space.

Finally keep baby’s room and your home smoke-free since exposure to passive smoke has been found to increase a baby’s risk of experiencing sudden unexpected infant death. On the other hand, breastfeeding and vaccinations have been shown to reduce that risk.

Hopefully, safety tips like these will position you in good standing and allow you and your baby to get back to sleep (get it — “back” to sleep) by making sure your baby is placed in a safe sleep environment.

Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.