Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill was recently recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program as a “Bronze Safe Sleep Hospital” for its commitment to the best practices and education on safe infant sleep.

DCMH is one of only 11 hospitals in Pennsylvania and the only hospital in eastern Pennsylvania to receive the certification.

The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids, a Pittsburgh-based organization dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation.

In addition to being Cribs for Kids partners, DCMH was recognized for following the safe-sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and providing training programs for parents, staff, and the community.

“We need to show parents what safe sleep practices look like in preparation for when they take their infants home,” said Karen Angiolillo, a nurse in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“What we’ve learned through our education efforts is that parents may read information about safe sleep, but if they do not actually see these guidelines being practiced they do not practice it themselves.”

Angiolillo played a critical role in helping DCMH achieve “Bronze Safe Sleep Hospital” status.

Several years ago, the DCMH NICU implemented an intensive, safe-sleep program after realizing that the rate of SIDS throughout the nation remained high despite hospitals’ efforts to implement safe-sleep practices.

“Doctors and staff hypothesized that this was because parents were not actually witnessing the appropriate safe sleep practices,” said Angiolillo.

Studies show that without proper education, only 30 percent of parents follow safe-sleep guidelines after discharge from a NICU. When these guidelines are discussed and actually shown, this percentage increases to over 80 percent.

“The Cribs for Kids certification proves that every staff member and parent at DCMH receives the education to ensure a firm understanding of the necessary steps to avoid a devastating outcome,” said Angiolillo.