A decades-old federal campaign to prevent infant sleep deaths has been halted following staffing cuts under the Trump administration, raising concerns among doctors as sleep-related infant deaths rise.
The Safe to Sleep campaign, launched in the 1990s as “Back to Sleep,” was led by an NIH office that officially shut down on April 1. The program educated parents on safe sleep practices to reduce sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), including SIDS and suffocation. Since its inception, it contributed to a 50% drop in such deaths.
Doctors warn the closure comes at the worst time. U.S. infant sleep deaths have been rising since the pandemic, with 3,700 babies dying in 2022, up from an annual average of 3,500 in previous decades. A recent study found over 75% of deaths from 2011–2020 involved unsafe sleep environments.
“This is devastating,” said Dr. Rachel Moon of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “If we take the messaging out, more babies will die.”
The NIH says materials remain online, but partners like First Candle say they lack the funding to print and distribute them at scale. Cuts also affect other maternal health programs and data collection efforts vital to preventing infant deaths, leaving experts fearful of a widening support gap—especially among families on public insurance and communities of color, who are disproportionately affected.
Public health officials say the loss of federal coordination could leave many local programs fragmented and outdated.
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