Implementing a Statewide Safe to Sleep Hospital Initiative: Lessons Learned

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Sleep-related infant deaths remain a significant, preventable cause of mortality in Georgia.
• The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) launched a safe infant sleep initiative to address this issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation and progress of a statewide safe infant sleep hospital initiative.
• To assess the adoption of safe infant sleep policies and staff training in Georgia's birthing hospitals.

Main Methods:

• A process evaluation using structured interviews and document review of policies and crib audit data.
• All 79 birthing hospitals in Georgia participated in the campaign.

Main Results:

• Hospital adoption of safe infant sleep policies increased from 44.3% to 87.3%.
• A majority of hospitals (91.4%) have implemented staff training on safe sleep recommendations.

Conclusions:

• The DPH initiative successfully increased safe infant sleep policy adoption and staff training in Georgia hospitals.
• Key success factors include engagement, comprehensive guides, piloting, ongoing support, and leadership.