Kristen Viger

FARMINGTON — Franklin Memorial Hospital was recently named Silver Safe Sleep Champion by the Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program.

The certification recognizes the hospital for its commitment to keeping infants safe in their sleep environment and eliminating as many sleep-related deaths as possible.

More than 3,500 infants die of sleep-related deaths every year in the U.S., according to Cribs for Kids.

The path to silver level certification began with a comprehensive infant safe sleep policy. Other steps to certification included replacing receiving blankets in the hospital with wearable blankets or sleep sacks, training the care team on safe sleeping guidelines, developing a plan to educate parents about safe sleep before they leave the hospital, and modeling safe sleep behaviors in the hospital.

Nurse Kristen Viger was the project’s leader. Franklin Memorial Hospital doctors and nurse midwife deliver about 250 babies each year.