For many families, the fear of losing a baby during sleep is very real. Each year in the United States, approximately 3,700 infants die from Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes both Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Accidental Strangulation and Suffocation in Bed (ASSB). We also know more today than we once did. […]
First Candle was honored to host the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death (ISPID) 2025 conference October 8 -10, which brought together more than 340 researchers, medical professionals, advocates, and parents from around the world. This year the virtual conference focused on Fostering Unity for Infant Survival: Collaborative Approaches […]
How Our NICU Let’s Talk Program Improves Safe Sleep Practices: Now Published in Neonatology Today Inside Our NICU Safe Sleep Program: Data, Outcomes, and Clinical Implications Every once in a while, we reach a milestone that reminds us exactly why we do this work. Recently, a white paper on our NICU Let’s Talk Community Chats program, co-authored […]
First Candle Executive Director and CEO Alison Jacobson released the following statement about the domestic policy bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives today and is expected to be signed into law on Friday. The bill contains drastic cuts to Medicaid funding. We are deeply disappointed by the passage of this legislative bill, which […]
May is Maternal Mental Health Month—a time to raise awareness about the emotional and psychological well-being of new moms. At First Candle, our mission is to save babies and support families. That includes addressing a critical but too-often overlooked issue: postpartum depression (PPD). Through our Let’s Talk Community Chats, we meet with families in […]
At First Candle, our mission has always been to meet families where they are — with empathy, education, and support — especially in communities that experience the greatest risk of sleep-related infant deaths. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our new partnership in promoting the children’s book Bedtime Baby, Safe and Sound. Written by […]
All of us at First Candle are pleased to announce that Destiny Stokes, MPH has joined the organization as Program Director. She was previously Research Manager at Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, which has been First Candle’s partner in executing a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority […]
At First Candle we are committed to promoting activities and practices that help to reduce the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) One of these is breastfeeding. Not only does breastfeeding reduce the rate of SIDS by 50% and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) but breastfeeding helps mom recover quicker […]
Today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study on the rate of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) during the pandemic (2019-2020). The rate of SUID overall remained the same from previous years but the rate among Black infants increased. The rates of SUID for infants born to Black families is now 2.3 times […]
In May 2022 First Candle launched the Let’s Talk Community Chat program, with Harlem as the first site, in partnership with the Hope Center Harlem and with the support of the Ryan Wolfe Kossar Foundation. Let’s Chat is an extension of our educational programming, offering families in the community the chance to discuss and learn about infant […]
In the 90s, the proverb “It Takes A Village to Raise a Child” took root and became a popular part of our collective culture. More than 30 years later, the sentiment of that proverb remains true: it takes a concerted effort to ensure moms and babies have the access to care, education and support they […]
Today, the new safe sleep recommendations were released by the American Academy of Pediatrics. On Thursday the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s new federal rule goes into effect that states the only products that can be marketed for infant sleep are cribs, bassinets, play yards and bedside sleepers. And last month President Biden signed the Safe […]
As the leading non-profit organization in the fight to end Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), one of our primary responsibilities is to consistently educate parents about the safe and proper use of infant products. We know that many SUID deaths have some element of unsafe sleep, either where the baby is sleeping or something in […]
Safe sleep practices are a safeguard for both Recently, people have started to use two different phrases, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) interchangeably. There is a difference however: SUID is the death of an infant less than 1 year of age that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. There are three […]
It’s well known that there is a childcare crisis in this country. But this week a new report from Office of Economic Policy lays out how “broken” the childcare system in this country truly is. The report states: Currently, the average family with at least one child under age 5 would need to devote about […]
Longtime donor The Boppy Company has confirmed its 2019 support for First Candle and their mission of reducing the rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths according to First Candle CEO Alison Jacobson. The national non-profit organization has been leading the way for over 40 years in educating parents and caregivers […]
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and accidental suffocation claim the lives of over 3,600 babies every year in this country. These numbers haven’t moved in years and the racial disparity is great. The rates of SIDS and accidental suffocation are nearly three times higher among black babies. Why? We know that by adopting the safe sleep […]
The greatest fear for any parent is something happening to their child. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) especially strikes fear into the heart of every parent since it’s the leading cause of death for babies one month to one year of age and its cause continues to remain a mystery. There is a great deal […]
Five Contact Hours Available to Nurses First Candle, the national non-profit committed to ending Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths has now been approved for accreditation of their Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep training program. SIDS remains the leading cause of death for babies one month to one year of age […]
New and energetic channels of communications between federal and regional groups opened up on November 5 when First Candle hosted a day-long Safe Sleep and Breastfeeding Forum at Stamford Hospital, fostering new relationships to help advance the Safe Sleep Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The event brought representatives from the Centers for […]
Last week I was at a meeting of my book club – my bookclub is like everyone else’s – we get together so that we talk about everything BUT that book we all didn’t read. Our club is made up of a group of women who are connected kind of peripherally, with some knowing each […]
We ‘re so excited when companies and influencers are willing to help spread the word about infant safe sleep in order to reduce the rate of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths such as accidental suffocation. Halo, a long-time supporter of First Candle has always been committed to safe sleep and in fact was founded […]
Five Companies Earn the Designation by Committing to Only Showing Babies in a Safe Sleep Environment September 12, 2018, New Canaan, Conn. — First Candle, the national non-profit organization committed to ending Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths, announced today the launch of the Safe Sleep Guardian program, designed to urge […]
In early August Barb Himes, First Candle’s Director of Education and Training, spoke at the 46th annual conference of the National Black Nurses Association, presenting an overview of our Straight Talk for Infant Sleep program, which follows the Safe Sleep Guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. First Candle launched Straight Talk in 2017, […]
This week is World Breastfeeding Week and at First Candle we are actively working to get the message out about the benefits of breastfeeding. This is something we discuss in our Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep programs and were surprised that over 66% of participants in our trainings weren’t aware that breastfeeding can significantly […]
In June 2018, Barbara Himes, our Director of Education and Training, attended the 2018 International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS and Baby Survival in Glasgow, Scotland, where she presented our program, Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep, to a gathering of health care professionals, parents and SIDS researchers from around the world. She stressed Straight Talk’s […]
Why has no substantial progress been made in preventing sleep-related infant deaths? Approximately 3700 infants (aged 1 year) have died each year in the past 15 years, most of whom died before age 6 months. No recent breakthrough has occurred for this public health issue, which kills a surprisingly large number of society’s most vulnerable—typically […]
Child Care Checklist – Infant Safe Sleep As you look for child care outside your home, there are many things to consider. This guide will help you assess two important aspects of child care, infant safe sleep and breastfeeding, as you decide who will care for your baby. Please keep in mind, this has a […]
Yesterday the American Academy of Pediatrics released a new report with the troubling finding that not only have declines in SIDS rates slowed but in some states they have actually increased. What’s more, the report found that from 1999 through 2015, infant death rates from accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed surged 184 percent. The […]
While the rate of infant mortality due to SIDS has been declining, the rates for non-Hispanic Black infants are still twice as high as that for non-Hispanic White infants. Additionally, the rate for other sleep-related infant deaths is more than three times that of non-Hispanic white infants. In response to these staggering statistics, First […]
Baby Boxes, free sturdy boxes with a firm mattress, a waterproof cover and a fitted sheet, are being provided to new parents in an effort to reduce infant mortality rates nationwide. These boxes are intended to serve as a safe sleep area when a traditional and recommended sleep area is not available to the parents. As the […]
At First Candle we love to recognize companies that are getting the word out about the safest way for babies to sleep. Check out this new video from our friends at The Boppy Company and pass it along! For more information, visit: https://www.boppy.com/safe-sleep/.
According to new safe sleep recommendations, infants should sleep in the same bedroom as their parents – but on a separate surface, such as a crib or bassinet, and never on a couch, armchair or soft surface — to decrease the risks of sleep-related deaths, according to new safe sleep recommendations and guidelines released by the […]
