This is how you should put your baby to sleep to lower the risk of cot death, charity warns
TOO many parents are still allowing their babies to sleep on their tummy, despite the risk of cot death, experts have warned.
A worrying one in four thought it was fine to let their little ones sleep on their sides, and 15 per cent saw no harm in letting them sleep on their fronts, a charity found.
To reduce the risk of cot death or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), babies should always be put to sleep on their backs.
Yet, the Lullaby Trust said around half of parents are unsure of basic steps they can take to reduce the risk of SIDS.
The charity surveyed 500 parents of children under two and found that, despite research showing babies were far less likely to die if the sleep on their backs, many parents were unaware of the risk of cot death.
While 94 per cent of mums and dads had heard of SIDS, 23 per cent of parents neither agreed nor disagreed with whether a baby should sleep on their back.
But 62 per cent of parents did not think babies should sleep on their tummies and 45 per cent did not think a baby should sleep on their side.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
This was despite 87 per cent being aware that putting a baby on their back for every sleep reduces the risk of SIDS by six times.
SIDS hit the headlines in 1991 after TV star Anne Diamond's son Sebastian died in his cot.
She launched a sleep campaign, called Back to Sleep, in light of research showing that babies were far less likely to die if they were put to sleep on their backs.
But the Lullaby Trust is concerned that some parents are unaware of or ignore this message, while others do not know about the risks of drinking and sharing a sofa with a baby, or smoking.
There were 230 sudden infant deaths in the UK in 2014, following a downward trend in the last decade.
In 2001, there were 330.
The Lullaby Trust says babies should be put to sleep on their backs in a cot that is free of bumpers, toys and pillows.
Francine Bates, chief executive of the charity, said: "Twenty-five years after the Back to Sleep campaign, the survey results have shown us we need to go back to basics."
WHAT IS SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME?
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby.
In the UK, just under 300 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year.
This statistic may sound alarming, but SIDS is rare and the risk of your baby dying from it is low.
Most deaths happen during the first six months of a baby’s life.
Infants born prematurely or with a low birthweight are at greater risk.
SIDS also tends to be slightly more common in baby boys.
What causes SIDS?
The exact cause is unknown.
Experts believe SIDS occurs at a particular stage in a baby’s development, and that it affects babies who are vulnerable to certain environmental stresses.
Environmental stresses could include tobacco smoke, getting tangled in bedding, a minor illness or a breathing obstruction.
There is also thought to be a link with co-sleeping - sleeping with your baby on a bed, sofa or chair.
Babies who die of SIDS are thought to have problems in the way they respond to these stresses and how they regulate their heart rate, breathing and temperature.
How can you reduce your baby's risk?
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep
- Place your baby in the "feet to foot" position, with their feet touching the end of the cot, Moses basket, or pram
- Keep your baby’s head uncovered. Their blanket should be tucked in no higher than their shoulders.
- Let your baby sleep in a cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first six months.
- Use a mattress that's firm, flat, waterproof and in good condition.
- Breastfeed your baby
- Don't smoke during pregnancy or let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby
- Don't sleep on a bed, sofa or armchair with your baby
- Don't let your baby get too hot or too cold
Robert Weeks, who lost his daughter Sophia to SIDS, said: "On January 3 2012 our lives changed forever when our beautiful daughter Sophia died suddenly and unexpectedly.
"She was just about to turn 11 weeks old.
"We have still never had an explanation for why our healthy and 'normal' daughter died.
“We were one of 221 families that year whose child died for no apparent reason and with no cause found, even after a post-mortem was held.
"I think the work that The Lullaby Trust does to raise awareness of safer sleep for babies is absolutely vital.
“Every new parent should be made aware of this information if it will prevent other families from going through what we have been through."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368