Trump disbands 'Safe to Sleep' infant safety initiative. Here's what parents need to understand.
Rewritten Article:
In my early days as a new parent, I'd often sneak into my son's room multiple times a day—day and night—just to make sure the little guy was still breathing. Thanks to the Safe to Sleep campaign, launched three decades back, I knew that sleep-related infant deaths were a major issue in the U.S.
The federal government, along with private organizations, pushed this campaign as "Back to Sleep" in 1994. It's saved thousands of infants from sleep-related deaths, according to Dr. Rachel Moon, a pediatrician and researcher at the University of Virginia who contributed to the guidelines for safe infant sleep from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Right after the inception of Back to Sleep, deaths reduced by a whopping 50%," Moon says.
Sadly, the Trump administration has dismantled the office that spearheaded the campaign, now known as Safe to Sleep.
Safe sleep recommendations for infants include laying them down on their back, on a firm mattress, in their own space, such as a crib or bassinet. Avoid placing them on couches, armchairs, swings, or car seats for sleeping, except in vehicles, and keep loose blankets, pillows, crib bumpers, and other soft items out of their sleep area to prevent suffocation or strangulation. Unintentional suffocation is the leading cause of injury death among infants under 12 months.
The Safe to Sleep campaign offered informative public health messaging about these safe sleeping practices, spreading the word on social media, in pamphlets, and through translations tailored for specific groups, like grandparents. They also handed out materials to hospitals and doctors' offices to share with patients. These resources were produced and distributed by the communications office at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development—an office that was eliminated in April 2025, as first reported by STAT News.
"They emailed me to say that, since the office has been terminated, so has Safe to Sleep," says Moon, who collaborated on the campaign. She found the sudden discontinuation shocking, especially as infant deaths from sleep-related causes have been on the rise lately.
Researchers think the increase may be connected to parents not having the necessary information about safe sleep during the pandemic, when access to healthcare might have been limited. From 2020 to 2022, sleep-related deaths increased by almost 12%.
Alison Jacobson, from non-profit organization First Candle, which has been part of the Safe to Sleep campaign since its beginning, will continue educating parents about safe sleep practices. However, they don't have nearly enough funding to replace the materials provided by the NIH.
"State agencies, departments of health, and hospitals would reach out to them for the resources, which they were able to provide," says Jacobson. "We no longer have that ability."
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has yet to comment on the future of the Safe to Sleep campaign. In an email, the agency stated that no final decisions have been made regarding the campaign's future. The campaign materials remain available online.
Upon visiting the Safe to Sleep website, I saw that pamphlets and other resources could still be downloaded, but many were listed as unavailable for order temporarily.
Christina Stile, the former deputy director for the communications office that was dismantled, says that the office used to distribute millions of publications each year. She questions who, if anyone, would now be responsible for continued distribution, as communications offices at various NIH institutions are also reportedly facing widespread job cuts.
Jacobson fears that this change will make it much harder to reach parents and inform them about safe sleep practices, increasing the risk of sleep-related infant deaths.
Edited by Jane Greenhalgh
Copyright 2025 NPR
- The federal government, in collaboration with private organizations, launched the Safe to Sleep campaign three decades ago, promoting "Back to Sleep" in 1994 to reduce sleep-related infant deaths, which succeeded in reducing deaths by 50%.
- Unfortunately, under the Trump administration, the office responsible for spearheading the Safe to Sleep campaign was dismantled, leaving researchers like Dr. Rachel Moon, who contributed to the guidelines for safe infant sleep, shocked.
- Research from 2020 to 2022 shows a significant increase of nearly 12% in sleep-related deaths among infants, which some researchers attribute to limited access to healthcare and lacking necessary information about safe sleep during the pandemic.
- Despite the discontinuation of the communications office at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, where Safe to Sleep materials were produced and distributed, organizations like First Candle continue to educate parents about safe sleep practices.
- Upon visiting the Safe to Sleep website, resources like pamphlets are still available for download, but many have temporary unavailability for order, raising concerns about continued distribution and the increased risk of sleep-related infant deaths.
