Partnering to Protect Infants

Every baby deserves the safest possible start, and safe sleep practices are critical in reducing infant mortality. That’s why Healthier Moms and Babies (HMB) partnered with Safe Sleep Simulation LLC to bring practical, hands-on education tools to families and caregivers in our community. Together, we’re working to ensure that no family has to experience the heartbreak of losing a child to a preventable sleep-related cause. This partnership reflects a shared belief that education must be both compassionate and effective to drive real change. 

A Shared Mission to Save Lives 

The Beginning: Addressing a Critical Need 

Our journey began with an urgent realization: too many families were unaware of or inconsistent with safe sleep practices, despite decades of public health campaigns. The Safe Sleep Simulation toolkit was designed to combat these challenges and reduce the alarming number of sleep-related infant deaths. 

Each year, approximately 3,400 infants die from sleep-related causes, a rate that has

remained largely unchanged since 1999 [1]. Despite evidence-based campaigns like Safe to Sleep®, which began nearly 30 years ago, adherence to recommended practices remains inconsistent, leaving babies at risk [2,3]. 

The partnership began through conversations with Parkview Health about better integrating infant safe sleep education into existing maternal and child health programs. As part of a 2022 pilot, Parkview introduced Safe Sleep Simulation training and toolkits to HMB staff. 

“From the beginning, it was clear that this partnership aligned perfectly with our mission. We saw the simulation kits not just as tools, but as opportunities to help families truly understand the ‘why’ behind safe sleep,” said Jennifer Fraizer, Chief Programs Officer, Healthier Moms and Babies. 

The Tools: Making Safe Sleep Real 

The toolkit employs hands-on learning experiences and audiovisual demonstrations, including 3D infant models, anatomical esophagus, and trachea models with liquid to show how sleep positions affect a baby’s airways. These interactive features turn abstract guidelines into visible, memorable lessons. 

“These tools provide a tangible way for parents to understand the risks associated with unsafe sleep practices,” said Kirsten King, community health worker and former home visitor, Parkview Health. 

For the past 2–3 years, HMB has incorporated these toolkits into its home visiting program. Families can hold the infant models, test different sleep positions, and immediately see the impact on the “lungs.” For many parents and grandparents, this powerful moment of realization leaves a lasting impression and often sparks open discussions about habits at home. 

Turning Knowledge Into Action 

Since adopting the simulation kits, HMB has seen remarkable outcomes. The interactive demonstrations resonate with caregivers, sparking meaningful conversations and driving behavior change. These conversations create opportunities for trust-building, where families feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. 

In fact, HMB reports that they have not experienced a sleep-related infant death in their service population for several years, a success attributed to consistent, compassionate education reinforced by simulation. 

“The lung demonstration in particular is such a turning point for families. Instead of just telling them the risks, we show them. That moment of realization is powerful, and it sticks with them long after the visit,” shared Fraizer. 

Education Woven Into Every Visit 

Safe sleep education isn’t a one-time message. It’s built into HMB’s broader maternal and child health programming. Families receive guidance during pregnancy and reinforcement after birth, ensuring safe sleep remains top of mind during critical stages of development. 

By pairing the Safe Sleep Simulation with curricula like Parents as Teachers, HMB staff deliver layered, comprehensive education that supports both parents and babies. This integration ensures that safe sleep becomes a natural part of the family’s daily routine rather than a stand-alone lesson. 

Why This Approach Works 

Traditional teaching methods often fall short because they lack the realism families need to fully grasp the risks. The Safe Sleep Simulation kits make education hands-on, visual, and deeply memorable, bridging the gap between knowledge and action [4,5]. 

“Our goal has always been to move beyond telling families what to do. With these toolkits, families can see the risks and benefits for themselves. That’s where the real learning and behavior change happen,” said Anthony Foust, Sales & Retail Specialist, Safe Sleep Simulation. 

Impact on the Community 

Since implementing the toolkits, the ripple effects have been clear:

• Families are more engaged in conversations about safe sleep. 

• Caregivers demonstrate higher confidence in safe sleep practices. 

• Communities are seeing measurable reductions in sleep-related tragedies. 

  
  

“If even one family changes their habits and a life is saved because of these demonstrations, it’s worth it. But what we’ve seen is far more than that, these kits are changing whole communities,” shared Foust. 

Looking Ahead 

By combining compassion, education, and innovation, Healthier Moms and Babies and Safe Sleep Simulation are rewriting the story of infant safety. Families are not only learning about safe sleep but also living it, ensuring more babies have the safe, healthy start they deserve. 

“We are committed to reducing the rates of infant sleep-related deaths and ensuring that every baby has a safer start in life. We achieve this by continuously addressing common misconceptions, offering innovative educational tools, and partnering with organizations focused on decreasing infant mortality, such as Cribs for Kids and Healthier Moms and Babies,” said Ethel Massing, CEO of Safe Sleep Simulation. 

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About SUID and SIDS. Updated January 17, 2020. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/sids/about/index.htm

2. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Safe to Sleep® Campaign – Public Education to Reduce SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths. Updated 2023. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov

3. Chu T, Hackett M, Kaur N. Exploring caregiver behavior and knowledge about unsafe sleep surfaces in infant injury death cases. Health Educ Behav. 2015;42(3):293–301. doi:10.1177/1090198114547817

4. Stiffler D, Ayres B, Fauvergue C, Cullen D. Sudden infant death and sleep practices in the Black community. J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2018;23(2):e12213. doi:10.1111/jspn.12213

5. American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057990