The Healthy Native Babies Project, an adaptation of the national Safe to Sleep® campaign, was created by NICHD in collaboration with representatives from Tribes in the U.S. Northern Tier and others who serve and provide care in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.
The project provides risk-reduction messages about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths culturally tailored for AI/AN families, as well as training materials to help inform outreach and sharing strategies for healthcare, public health, and service providers.
The Healthy Native Babies Project grew out of the Aberdeen Infant Mortality Study, conducted with support from the NICHD, Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board. In addition to finding that infant mortality rates and SIDS rates among Northern Plains Indians were higher than the national average, study also identified protective and risk factors for infant mortality and SIDS among AI/AN infants in the study.
In 2023, NICHD began partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the Healthy Native Babies Project. CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health will lead efforts to update and disseminate Healthy Native Babies Project materials and information going forward. Visit the CDC’s About SUID and SIDS webpage to learn more.
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Healthy Native Babies Project Tools and Training
Healthcare, public health, and service providers and others can use the following Healthy Native Babies Project materials and information to inform their outreach for sharing safe sleep messages in AI/AN communities.