Working together to support safer sleeping for babies

Parents across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are being advised that sharing a bed with your baby may be unsafe.

According to the Office of National Statistics, approximately three babies every week in the UK pass away unexpectedly or suddenly due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Sometimes these infant deaths can occur when a parent or carer is co-sleeping with their babies or sharing an armchair while sleeping. In more severe cases when a parent or carer has had medication that has made them drowsy or has been drinking alcohol, sleeping around their young baby has had severe consequences.

This week from 11 March to 17 March is ‘Safer Sleep Week’ and the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) has joined forces with The Lullaby Trust to educate parents and carers on the safest places for their babies to sleep.

Dr Mansoor Ahmed, Consultant Paediatrician and Designated Doctor for Unexpected Deaths in South Staffordshire said: “I know as a parent of a new born that it can be easy to fall asleep with your baby in your arms however, unfortunately, it can be fatal”.

“Even though no advice can guarantee the prevention of SIDS, there are still several steps that new parents can take to ensure their baby is safe while sleeping.”

“Being a parent or carer to a new born can be challenging but very rewarding, we want to help reduce those challenges by educating new parents to make those sleeping nights comfortable and safe.”

There are some simple steps parents or carers can follow to ensure their baby has the safest space to sleep:

• - The safest place for a baby to sleep is in a firm, flat, clear, separate sleep space. There should be no large bedding blankets, pillows, or duvets around while they are asleep.

• - Babies’ airways are vulnerable, especially within the first few months of life. To help protect their breathing the best position to lay your sleeping baby is on their back helping to reduce the risk of suffocation.

• - Every baby needs a cot or a Moses basket

• - Keep your baby smoke free, during pregnancy and after birth

Beware of unsafe baby products, some products are marketed as safe but pose a high risk for babies whilst they are asleep, these include:

• - Bouncers

• - Baby swings

• - Soft-sided pods or nests

• - Hammocks

• - Sleep positioners

• - Bean bags

• - Weighted blankets

The ICB advise against buying any of these products to help your baby sleep as it increases their chances of suffocation.

For parents or carers who may be vulnerable or in an emergency and do not have access to a cot or a Moses basket, The Lullaby Trust have plenty of support options available to help you keep your baby safe while sleeping.

To get involved please visit the Lullaby Trust webpage to find out more about how to give your baby the ‘safest space’ to sleep.