DURING Safer Sleep Week (14-20 March 2016) the ESCB is reminding parents and carers of the dangers of poor sleeping conditions for young babies. The on-going Safer Sleep for Babies campaign, which is run in conjunction with Lullaby Trust aims to raise awareness of the risks of co-sleeping and offers advice on the correct sleeping position and surface to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Shockingly SIDS still claims the lives of around five babies every week in the UK and The Lullaby Trust is committed to bringing this number down to below half by 2020. A 2013 survey found over half of new mums with babies under six months said their greatest fear is that their baby will die in their sleep. Despite this, over half of mums were not following safer sleep advice.

So what can parents do to ensure their baby is sleeping safely?

Safe sleeping advice for babies:

DO’s

Always place your baby on their back to sleep, with their feet to the foot of the cot
Place your baby in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first six months
Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition
Breastfeed your baby if you can
Keep your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth

DON’T’s

Never sleep on an armchair or sofa with your baby
Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if you smoke, drink or take drugs, or if your baby was born prematurely or of low birth weight
Avoid letting your baby get too hot
Don’t use loose bedding or cover your baby’s head or face while sleeping

This advice is for all sleep periods, not just at night time.

Dr. Mike Gogarty, Chair of the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Strategic Child Death Overview Panel said: “The death of a child is always tragic, but often SIDS could be easily avoided by following safe sleeping advice for babies during all nap times, so I encourage parents to familiarise themselves with the advice.”

Simon Hart, ESCB Independent Chair said: “We need to educate people about the dangers of poor sleeping conditions, and prevent these tragic deaths. I would encourage you to make sure relatives or babysitters know the Do’s and Don’ts of safer sleeping for babies too.”

Parents and carers can access Safer Sleep resources on the ESCB website http://www.escb.co.uk/parentscarers/childsafety/safersleep.aspx or http://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep

You can also follow @EssexSafeguards #safersleep information on Twitter