Hospital recognized for infant, newborn care

BELLEVUE — The Bellevue Hospital recently received certification as a Bronze Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital. The certification, according to a health care organizational statement: • "Recognizes the hospital's commitment to best practices in infant safe sleep, ensuring the highest standards of care for the youngest patients" • "Reflects the hospital's efforts to implement safe sleep recommendations, educate families before discharge and model safe sleep practices to help reduce sleep-related infant deaths" About 3,400 sleep-related infant deaths occur annually in the U.S., according to Cribs for Kids. The organization emphasizes that parents often follow the practices they observe in the hospital, making education and modeling critical to prevention efforts. "Achieving this certification underscores our commitment to ensuring every newborn and infant receives the highest level of care," said Holly Bollenbacher, the hospital's director of its family birthing center and perioperative services. "By promoting safe sleep practices and educating families, we are helping create safer sleep environments and healthier outcomes."