• A crib, bassinet, portable crib, or playard that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Safety Product Commission is recommended, along with a tight-fitting, firm mattress and fitted sheet designed for that product. Nothing else should be in the crib except for your baby. 
• A firm surface maintains its shape and will not indent when the infant is placed on the surface. 
• The sleeping environment should be free of hazards, such as dangling cords, toys, electric wires, or other cushions and bedding to avoid the risk of strangulation or suffocation.
• Car seats, sofas, armchairs, futons, chairs, strollers, swings, infant carriers, and infant swings are not recommended for sleep. Do not place or leave your baby unattended in car seats or similar products with the straps unbuckled or partially buckled. Sofas and armchairs are extremely dangerous places for your baby, with an extraordinarily high risk for infant death, and should never be used for sleep.

• Tummy time is an important way to help your baby grow and develop. Lay your baby down on their stomach while they are awake and someone is watching them.
• Start with two or three short (3- to 5-minute) tummy time sessions each day.
• Increase your baby’s total daily amount of tummy time to at least 15-30 minutes by 7 weeks of age.

The AAP does not recommend bringing your baby into your bed under any circumstances. This includes twins and other multiples. 

• If you bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort, place your baby back in their own sleep space when you are ready to go to sleep.
  
• Avoid falling asleep with your baby in other spots, too. The risk of sleep-related infant death is up to 67 times higher when infants sleep with another person on a couch, soft armchair, or cushion. 

It’s extra important not to share your bed with your baby if: 

• You have been drinking alcohol or taken any medicines or substances. The risk of sleep-related infant death is more than 10 times higher for babies who bedshare with someone who is fatigued or has taken medications that make it harder for them to wake up, or who has used substances such as alcohol, medications, or drugs.
• Your baby is very young, small, or was born prematurely. The risk of sleep-related infant death while bedsharing is 5 to 10 times higher when your baby is younger than 4 months old, and 2 to 5 times higher when your baby was born preterm or with a low birthweight.
   

• Place your baby’s crib, bassinet, portable crib, or playard in your bedroom, close to your bed.
• If you bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort, place your baby back in their own sleep space when you are ready to go to sleep.

• Check your baby for signs of overheating such as sweating, flushed skin, or a hot chest.

• Once you’re home from the hospital, don’t put a hat on your baby while indoors.

• Your baby should always be placed on their back when swaddled.
• The swaddle should not be too tight or make it hard for your baby to breathe or move their hips.
• When your baby looks like they are trying to roll over, you should stop swaddling due to risk of suffocation. Some swaddles that leave your baby’s arms free may still be appropriate for use; check the product instructions or consult your healthcare provider to assess what is best for your baby.

• Remove all pillows, pillow-like toys, quilts, comforters, and loose bedding from your baby’s sleep area to avoid risk of suffocation, strangulation, and wedging/entrapment.
• Blankets, hats, and other coverings used to keep your baby warm are not recommended because they increase the risk of entrapment and strangulation in the sleep space.
• To keep your baby warm, consider dressing them with layers of clothing, using a wearable blanket, swaddle, or similar infant sleep clothing.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development suggests cradleboards as a culturally appropriate infant safe sleep surface. If you plan to cradleboard your baby, care should be taken so that your baby does not overheat due to overbundling. The following steps can be taken to prevent hip dysplasia:

• Consult with tribal elders and community members: Different Native American communities have unique cultural practices and traditions, and it is important to seek input from elders and community members to understand the appropriate way to cradleboard infants safely.
• Use a cradleboard that allows for movement: Infants should not be kept in a single position for prolonged periods of time. The cradleboard should be designed to allow for movement and changes in position.
• Avoid tight swaddling: Tight swaddling can restrict movement and increase the risk of hip dysplasia. Instead, use a soft, breathable material to line the cradleboard.
• Monitor the baby’s development: Parents and caregivers should be aware of the signs of hip dysplasia and should have their baby’s hips checked regularly by a healthcare provider.

• Unless it is not safe to do so, or the parent is unable to do so, it is recommended that infants be fed with human milk.