Tracy Whitman, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, stresses parents can remain physically close to their babies without bringing newborns into bed.
Instead, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a newborn sleep in the same room as their parents, but in their own bassinet or crib on a firm, flat mattress without blankets or other items in their sleeping area.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to place babies on their back, with no blankets or bumpers, for safe sleeping. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CRIBSFORKIDS)
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to place babies on their back, with no blankets or bumpers, for safe sleeping. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CRIBSFORKIDS)
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to place babies on their back, with no blankets or bumpers, for safe sleeping. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CRIBSFORKIDS)
The photo depicts a baby sleeping safely on their back, alone, on a firm surface and with no blankets nearby. (Cribs for Kids National Infant Safe Sleep Initiative Facebook)
Show Caption
1 of 4
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to place babies on their back, with no blankets or bumpers, for safe sleeping. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CRIBSFORKIDS)
Whitman, who works with parents and babies at Commonwealth Health’s Moses Taylor Hospital, reminds parents of the importance of refraining from marijuana, alcohol and other drugs since they can cause drowsiness and slow responsive reaction.
During a new mom’s stay at the hospital, staff educate parents about issues such as proper sleeping protocol for newborns.
For example, if a new mother is falling asleep while breast feeding, staff will suggest putting the baby down.
Good practice dictates that babies should sleep on a firm surface with no bumpers, blankets or pillows around them.
Whitman said such recommendations have changed over times, but have remained basically consistent for over a decade.
Mehgan Gagorik, executive director for the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA and co-chair of the NEPA Sleep Safety Task Force, poses for a portrait in the center in Scranton Thursday, February 12, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Help from the sleep safety task force
After six infants died from co-sleeping in the first seven months of 2025, area leaders knew that had to do be proactive. Two of those deaths are tied to criminal cases.
They formed the NEPA Sleep Safety Task force, a collaboration between the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office and the Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA.
The task force meets monthly to address the alarming and preventable trend of sleep-related deaths in the area, according to Meghan Gagorik, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center.
“Specifically in 2025, we were at the mid-year point and we had six deaths in Lackawanna County related to sleep environments which traditionally was the number for the entire year,” she said. “We wanted to do what we could do to prevent this from occurring in the future and that’s how we all came together.”
Gagorik believes parents generally want to be good parents, but can sometimes be misinformed, especially by social media.
Lackawanna County has numerous resources available to parents, including Maternal and Family Services and St. Joseph’s Center.
“There’s a ton of people doing great work and resources available to people who need them,” she said. “If they need things like a crib, get them to people
Gagorik pointed out that, in addition to safe sleeping, it’s important to keep babies safe throughout the day.
For example, it’s important not to over-bundle a child in a car seat and keep babies away from blankets and other hazards.
“It’s important to make sure that every time a child is sleeping, or even if they’re not sleeping, they have a safe environment every time,” she said.