about sleeptight

The mission of sleeptight is to encourage safe sleeping and reduce the risk of SIDS and infant mortality in Hampton Roads. Every child should have a crib.
 
A five year study done by the Chesapeake Health Department indicated that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is one of the leading causes for infant mortality. A large number of these deaths are due to positional asphyxia—a type of suffocation caused by body positions that restrict airflow and a fatal condition often caused by unsafe sleeping environments.
 
Too often, these unsafe sleeping environments include infants sleeping in laundry baskets, in dresser drawers, on a sofa, or co-bedding with adults or other children. For families unable to afford a crib and without sufficient knowledge about safe-sleeping, the risk for positional asphyxia or SIDS is much too high.
 
The sleeptight campaign provides an opportunity for any low-income parent in the region to attend a safe-sleeping educational program and to receive a Graco Pack n’ Play crib at no cost.
 

A letter of support from Dr. Nancy Welch, M.D., Public Health Director, City of Chesapeake indicates that 'CHIP/Healthy Families' plan to provide patient education for safe sleep and an actual safe sleep environment in the form of a Pack and Play for the family, will have significant impact on the number of deaths attributed to positional asphyxiation for our infants." She continues, "CHIP/Healthy Families interacts closely within the community with new mothers who are most at risk for an infant death and is deserving and appropriate to recieve fudning to support the implementation of the 'Sleep Tight' program."
 
Special thanks to TownePlace at Greenbrier, WTKR Newschannel 3 and Bianca Martinez, 92.9 The Wave, Sterling’s Steak & Seafood, Rubin Communications and Cribs for Kids for helping to make the sleeptight campaign possible.