Focus on Safe Sleep Practices to Prevent Sleep Related Infant Deaths
Today First Candle and Dear Fathers announced a strategic partnership to work together to educate and support Black fathers around the country regarding infant safe sleep, breastfeeding support and the proper use of infant products.
First Candle is the national non-profit organization addressing Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). They do this through community partnerships educating families on life-saving safe sleep practices while providing bereavement support to parents who have tragically experienced the death of their baby. Sleep-related infant deaths claim the lives of 3,700 babies every year in the United States. There is a growing disparity in the rates of death, with Black infants dying at three times the rates of white babies.
Dear Fathers is dedicated to telling stories of Black fathers from all angles while also empowering their community with tangible resources that inspire, heal, and strengthen the Black man. They do this through events, resources, storytelling and their celebrity podcast, Dear Fathers, the #1 podcast for black fathers hosted by Co-Founder Jesse Alex. Past guests include Shaq, Pusha T, Master P, Ced The Entertainer, and more.
The partnership with Dear Fathers allows First Candle to reach thousands of dads both in person and through their social media accounts who are engaged and committed to keeping their babies safe and preventing sleep-related infant death.
“We’re excited to partner with Dear Fathers to reach thousands of dads and explain the reasons behind the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidelines and how they can ensure their baby is in a safe sleep space for every nap time and bedtime. We also know that partner support increases the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding, a critical health benefit for both the birthing person and baby,” explains Alison Jacobson, CEO of First Candle.
It was Dear Fathers, Dads to Doulas program, that brought them together with First Candle. Dads to Doulas aims to equip Black men and expectant fathers with the knowledge and skills to advocate for their families from pregnancy through infancy. By providing doula-level education, they strive to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. This provides synergistic opportunities with First Candle’s community-based program Let’s Talk Community Chats which supports everyone in the family, including dads, on safe sleep, breastfeeding and the proper use of infant products.
“We’re honored and excited to partner with First Candle as we continue to educate the men, fathers, and families in our network about the importance of infant safe sleep. Through this partnership, thousands of dads will have a better understanding of how to support their partners and their babies. Not only will we educate men, but this partnership also allows us to advocate for more safe spaces for fathers to connect, which means the world to us at Dear Fathers.” said Jesse Alex.
