Editor’s note: Replies have been edited for length. Full responses are available in the version of this piece at journalgazette.net/opinion .

1 Every Birth Network’s Safe Sleep Ambassador Program launches in 2026. Why are safe sleep practices still so hard to adopt, and how do we break through those barriers?

Wilkins: Most parents know the guidelines, but exhaustion, economics and mixed messages get in the way.

In our community infant mortality report, a survey of 1,000 pregnant and new moms, 1 in 5 reported returning to work less than four weeks postpartum to keep a roof over their heads. Without paid leave, parents are more fatigued and less able to establish consistent routines. Research shows that access to paid leave supports breastfeeding and maternal mental health – both link

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