Local hospital now using sleep sacks instead of swaddling for newborns

TACOMA -- A local hospital is no longer swaddling newborns, instead opting to use sleep sacks in an effort to fight sudden infant death syndrome.

According to the Tacoma News Tribune, Pierce County has the highest annual rate of infant deaths in the state with 5.7 per 1,000 births.

The state Department of Health says that's 23% higher than the state average of 4.7.

Tacoma General Hospital is now handing out the sleep sacks to the parents of every new baby born at the hospital according to the newspaper.0

They were donated by the Center for Childhood Safety at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

The sacks are made by Halo SleepSack Swaddle, which sells them for about $20.

The paper says the company sends the sacks to the hospital and only charges them for the cost of shipping.

The sleep sacks zip from bottom to top.

Parents can still access the baby's diapers without having to completely remove the sack.

To read the complete article on the new program featured in the Tacoma News Tribune, click here.