Valley Children’s Earns National Infant Safe Sleep Certification

Published October 2, 2026

MADERA, Calif. – Valley Children’s Healthcare has earned Gold Certification through the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program, receiving a five-year designation as a National Infant Safe Sleep Certified Hospital.

Gold Certification – the highest level of recognition offered by the program – recognizes Valley Children’s efforts to promote safe sleep practices for infants and reduce sleep-related infant deaths, including those classified as Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID).

The designation also places Valley Children’s in the national public database of certified hospitals.

“Becoming a Cribs for Kids Safe Sleep Hospital is more than a designation; it represents a commitment to infant safe sleep as the standard of care,” said Dr. Carmela Sosa, medical director of the Guilds Center for Community Health at Valley Children’s Healthcare. “This commitment is especially important for families in the Central Valley, where we see persistent disparities in infant mortality.”

According to data from 2024, the infant mortality rate in Fresno County was 5.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with approximately 4.2 deaths per 1,000 births statewide. The disparity is even more pronounced among Black families, who account for 4.3% of births in Fresno County but 15.3% of infant deaths.

Research shows that most sleep-related infant deaths are preventable and are often linked to unsafe sleep environments. Recommended safe sleep practices include placing babies on their backs to sleep, alone, in a bare, safety-approved crib.

“While safe sleep certification alone cannot eliminate the many factors contributing to infant mortality, our hospital certification is an important step in ensuring that every family receives consistent, evidence-based education, and that every infant we care for has access to a safe sleep environment, both in the hospital and at home,” said Dr. Sosa.

The Valley Children’s Guilds Center for Community Health has also played a leading role in advancing safe sleep initiatives across the region through the formation of the Central Valley Safe Sleep Coalition, a collaborative effort representing nine counties throughout the Central Valley. The coalition was established to promote safe sleep practices and reduce sleep-related infant deaths throughout the region.

To learn more about safe sleep guidelines and resources, visit valleychildrens.org.