Medical Community

 

Safe and Sound Sleep Guide by Kiddopotamus

This comprehensive guide on infant sleep safety provides vital information to parents and caregivers that may save babies lives. Written and produced by Kiddopotamus in consultation with members of the medical community, the complimentary pamphlet has been reviewed and approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), and First Candle / SIDS Alliance. From our complete Crib Safety Checklist to the latest AAP infant sleep guidelines, this guide covers all of the most critical concerns in infant sleep safety.

The Safe and Sound Sleep guide is distributed through hospitals to every mother of low birth weight or premature infants by the MedImmune program upon the baby's birth in US hospitals. This important guide for new parents is also distributed through Happiest Baby Educators and through the American Baby Childbirth Educator program. It is available upon request at no charge to any new or expecting parent and to caregivers. For your free Safe and Sound Sleep Guide, please email us at info@kiddopotamus.com

First Candle / SIDS Alliance

As a Leading Light Partner and Founding Partner of First Candle / SIDS Alliance, Kiddopotamus provides financial contributions of at least $100,000 annually to First Candle. A percentage of each purchase of the SwaddleMe® is donated so together parents and Kiddopotamus can support First Candle's mission to help each child survive and thrive. Kiddopotamus has worked closely with the First Candle / SIDS Alliance since 2004, when new medical studies showed that swaddling may help reduce the risk of SIDS. The SwaddleMe® is the original fitted swaddling wrap and is the only swaddle product that is included in the First Candle / SIDS Alliance Gifts that Give program.

First Candle / SIDS Alliance is a national nonprofit health organization uniting parents, caregivers and researchers nationwide with government, business and community service groups to advance infant health and survival. With help from a national network of member and partner organizations, First Candle is working to increase public participation and support in the fight against infant mortality.

In 2006 Chris Snedeker and Kristen Peterson, founders of Kiddopotamus, were invited to join the First Candle / SIDS Alliance Leadership Council in recognition of their personal and financial commitment to the mission of saving babies lives. First Candle's Leadership Council was formed in 2001 to elevate issues of infant mortality, including SIDS and stillbirth, to more appropriate levels of public concern, and to advise First Candle's Board of Directors in securing resources to fulfill its mission. "We consider ourselves fortunate to be the beneficiaries of Kiddopotamus' good will," says Dr. Marian Sokol, president of First Candle. ŅIn particular, Chris and Kristen have both proven to be strong and articulate ambassadors for our mission and for our organization. We are pleased that we can recognize their support by formally adding them to our Leadership Council, and we welcome the participation of and support by other like-minded individuals and companies."

For further information on First Candle / SIDS Alliance and to learn how you can help contribute to their important mission, please visit their website: www.firstcandle.org

Hospital Program

Kiddopotamus products are selected by many hospitals for their newborn infants to use in the NICU and nursery, or for parents to purchase when they take their baby home. Because the SwaddleMe is supported by medical research and the BeddieBye is supported by AAP guidelines as a safe alternative to loose blankets, these items are the most popular in the Hospital Program. By using the SwaddleMe and BeddieBye in the nursery, hospitals are modeling safe sleep practices that parents are more likely to use at home.

Some of the hospitals in our program provide the SwaddleMe or BeddieBye as a welcome gift for their new babies. Others purchase the Preemie Size SwaddleMe for use in their NICU program, as it helps babies retain their body temperature, provides the comforting snugness of the womb and the unique design allows access for medical devices. Other hospitals offer Kiddopotamus products for sale in their gift store. We also provide complimentary copies of our Safe and Sound Sleep Guide for the parents of your newborns.

If you are a hospital and would like to receive a complimentary product sample to review please email us about our Hospital Program. Please inquire about minimum orders to customize the SwaddleMe or BeddieBye with your hospital's name embroidered on the product.

To review a list of hospitals and other health agencies that are already part of our Hospital Program, click here.

Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP

Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, is both a mother and a pediatrician. Her pediatric experiences across the country--reaching from California to her most recent position in New Hampshire as an instructor of pediatrics and the director of the normal newborn nursery at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth--have taken her from private practice to the pages of US News & World Report and Discovery Health Channel's KidsHealthworks series. She is co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality (AAP, 2005) and editor in chief of Baby & Child Health: The Essential Guide from Birth to 11 Years (DK Publishing, 2004) and is a member of the Parents Magazine Advisory Board.

Kiddopotamus and Dr. Shu share the common priority of children's health and safety. Her valuable pediatric experience and objective comments have been very helpful to Kiddopotamus since 2002. Kiddopotamus is now pleased to share with the parent community selections from Dr. Shu's book Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality, which was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The topics provide relevant, reassuring information on concerns faced by every new parent from breastfeeding to diaper rashes.

Click here to read more from Dr. Shu.

Harvey Karp, MD, author of Happiest Baby on the Block

Dr. Harvey Karp, author of Happiest Baby on the Block, is a nationally renowned pediatrician and child development specialist. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine. Leaders of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Lamaze, DONA, Prevent Child Abuse America, and many others have endorsed his innovative approach to baby calming. Dr. Karp's techniques were introduced into the homes of millions of families through his best-selling book and DVD, The Happiest Baby on the Block. Since then, parents around the world have come to trust his name and his work. He is a leader in the field of parenting education and is passionate about improving the lives of children, as well as their relationships with parents and caregivers.

Dr. Karp is a strong advocate of swaddling to calm infants. He first learned about the SwaddleMe from the mother of one his patients, and he has provided the SwaddleMe to his patients and fans since 2002. The SwaddleMe is recommended by Dr. Karp through his popular Happiest Baby education program. This program teaches baby calming and sleep promoting techniques in hospitals and clinics. The program is taught at teen parenting programs, PPD support groups, fatherhood classes and many military bases around the world.

Click here to learn more about the philosophy behind The Happiest Baby and the Happiest Baby Education Program.

Our Commitment

Kiddopotamus® works closely with hospitals, childbirth educators, pediatricians and national health organizations to provide information and products to ensure safety and better health for infants. We are committed to designing the safest, most innovative products to keep babies safe and healthy. Kiddopotamus works with the medical community to provide lifesaving information and funds to support research and outreach programs.