Baltimore officials urge safe sleep following rise in infant deaths

Baltimore city officials are raising alarms over a rise in sleep-related infant deaths. The city recorded eleven such deaths in 2025 and has already matched that number in 2026, with four months remaining in the year.

Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Health Commissioner Michelle Taylor are urging families to follow the ‘ABCDs’ of safe sleep to prevent further tragedies. Approximately 74% of the sleep-related deaths in Baltimore this year involved co-sleeping. The recommended safety guidelines include ensuring infants sleep alone (the ‘A’ in the acronym), on their backs, in a crib, and in environments where no one is smoking.

Officials are encouraging residents to utilize the ‘B’more for Healthy Babies’ initiative, a resource established in 2009 to provide support such as prenatal care.