Eleven infants died from sleep-related issues in Baltimore in all of 2025. The city has recorded that same number so far in 2026, with about four months left in the year.
Noting the rise in sleep-related infant deaths, Baltimore City leaders on Tuesday urged parents and guardians to practice the “ABCDs” of safe sleep for their infant.
“As a father, I know firsthand how important safe sleep is—and I also know that keeping our babies safe cannot be up to parents alone,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a statement. “It takes all of us working together: aunts and uncles, grandparents, siblings, cousins, neighbors, and friends. I encourage everybody to get informed about the ABCDs of safe sleep, share information with those around you, and take advantage of the resources we have available, including through B’more for Healthy Babies.”
About 74% of Baltimore’s sleep-related infant deaths this year have involved co-sleeping, which is when a parent or guardian shares a bed with their infant.
That’s why it’s important for infants to sleep alone – the “A” of ABCD.
The other letters of the acronym remind families to ensure their infant is sleeping on their back, to make sure they are laying in a crib, and don’t smoke around the infant.
“Sleep-related deaths are the leading cause of death for babies between one month and one year. The loss of any child is a tragedy, especially when the death is preventable,” Baltimore City Health Commissioner Michelle Taylor said in a statement. “To prevent sleep-related infant deaths it is up to all of us: parents, caregivers, hospital staff, prenatal providers, pediatricians, and any others responsible for their care. Together, we can make sure Baltimore is a place where every child grows up healthy.”
The Baltimore City B’more for Healthy Babies initiative is a resource for parents and families in need of support, including prenatal care, safe sleep promotion, early intervention, WIC, family support, coordinated community health services and more.
Launched in 2009, the B’more for Healthy Babies initiative has reduced Baltimore’s infant mortality rate by 35% and decreased the Black-white disparity in infant mortality rates by 37%.
Families can access the following resources:
- Free portable crib: 410-649-0500
- Confidential, safe 24-hour parent-helpline (for any issue, even how to deal with a fussy baby): 1-800-243-7337
- Treatment for substance use or mental health: 410-433-5175
- Help quitting tobacco: 1-800-784-8669 (24 hours a day)
- Help coping with a loss: 410-235-6633
- Help with utility bills: 410-396-5555
