Our Babies: Safe and Sound

Our Babies: Safe and Sound is an educational campaign that provides parents and other caregivers of infants under the age of one, as well as expectant parents and professionals, with information and tips on ways to keep babies safe while sleeping, and how to keep your cool when babies cry.  The overall goal of the campaign is to help prevent West Virginia infants from injury and death.

Our Babies: Safe and Sound is a project of TEAM for West Virginia Children.

Campaign materials are based upon the latest state and national research findings, and are intended to be used by parents and other caregivers, community partners, and the general public. The themes of the campaign are Say YES to Safe Sleep and Keep Your Cool.

The campaign features three levels of activity:

• Education of parents and other caregivers, particularly those caring for infants and babies from birth to age 1.
• Reinforcement in West Virginia communities by local organizations, agencies, providers and networks.
• Promotion through television and radio advertising across the state.

Long-Term Direction of Our Babies: Safe and Sound campaign

• Reduce and prevent unintentional infant injury and death related to unsafe infant sleep environments, and help caregivers cope with frustrations resulting from frequent, constant or inconsolable baby crying, which is often a trigger to incidents of shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma.
• Engage additional partners in the campaign.
• Reach all expectant parents, new parents, and caregivers of children under 1 year old in WV with key campaign prevention messages.
• Address needed policy changes.

Supporters

Our Babies: Safe and Sound is being presented with financial assistance as a grant to TEAM for West Virginia Children from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and additional support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the WV Perinatal Partnership. Media production for the campaign is provided in partnership with the West Virginia Broadcasters Association.

Our Babies: Safe and Sound Advisory Panel

An advisory panel of members with experience, knowledge, and interest from the child health and child welfare fields was formed in November 2009 to help guide the campaign.  Members share a common goal of the Our Babies: Safe and Sound campaign – they are deeply committed to reducing injury and death of West Virginia’s infants.  Members of the Advisory Panel are listed below.