WABASH, IN – When you’re expecting a baby, there’s a lot to think about – preparations
to make, prenatal doctor’s appointments to keep, names to consider and baby items to buy or borrow. Amid
all that activity, it’s also essential to consider how you’ll keep your baby safe, especially when your bundle of
joy is sleeping.
Parkview Wabash Hospital (PWB) is offering a free Safe Sleep class in 2025 that can help. The one-session
class equips parents, grandparents, babysitters, daycare employees and other infant caregivers with
information and support so they can create a safe sleeping environment.
“We are so pleased to be able to offer the Safe Sleep class to area residents as part of our Maternal
Outreach Program,” said Deb Potempa, market president, Parkview Health South. “Thanks to the generosity
of donors through the Parkview Health Foundation, we can support parents in safeguarding their little ones
during that all-important first year.”
Did you know:
• Babies should always be put to bed on their backs?
• Babies should always sleep in a crib (or a safety-approved portable crib) by themselves, but
with mom nearby, for the first six months to a year?
• No pillows, loose blankets or stuffed animals may be in the crib with baby because
they present a suffocation risk?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2022, about 3,700 babies died
suddenly and unexpectedly in this country, usually in baby’s sleeping area. To reduce the risk of SIDS
(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and accidental suffocation, the American Academy of Pediatrics,
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Cribs for Kids, and the CDC provide specific recommendations for
infant sleep. PWB’s Safe Sleep class covers these recommendations and other practical information in an
easy-to-understand format with time for questions.
“We want parents and other adults to be confident in their ability to keep their infant safe during sleep time,”
said Abby Tackett, RN, the maternal outreach nurse who leads the class. “And if they see unsafe sleep
practices, to feel empowered to speak up.”
Tackett is a registered nurse and certified lactation specialist whose experience includes 14 years as a labor
and delivery/postpartum nurse.
“I am a mom myself with three young boys at home,” she said. “I understand how hard and wonderful and
terrible and amazing this season of life is, and I want to help other parents.”
Safe Sleep class will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at PWB on these Wednesdays: Feb. 19, May 21, Aug. 20
and Nov. 19. Participants may register for the date of their choice. Parents who attend the class and do not
have a safe place for their baby to sleep will be able to receive a safety-approved portable crib.
Along with the Safe Sleep class, a Moms Group is also part of PWB’s Maternal Outreach Program, which
was created to provide new mothers with the resources they need postpartum and beyond. Meeting every
Tuesday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the hospital, the Moms Group offers the opportunity to connect with other
moms, have baby weighed, ask an RN questions, get help with breastfeeding from a certified lactation
specialist, and enjoy light refreshments and a craft.
Plans are also underway for partnerships with other community resources to provide classes for infant CPR,
infant massage and car seat safety.
To register for the Safe Sleep class or inquire about the Moms Group, call Abby Tackett at 260-569-2308 or
email Abigail.tackett@parkview.com.
Parkview Wabash Hospital is located at 10 John Kissinger Drive, just off U.S. 24 in Wabash.
