Save a baby month
| Published: 26th April 2007 21:19 |
Save a baby month 1 - 31st May
Sudden unexplained infant death - commonly referred to as cot death - is the UK's biggest killer of babies over one month old, claiming the lives of around 300 infants every year.
Save a Baby Month, the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths' new annual awareness and fundraising drive, aims to make sure that each and every parent of the more than 600,000 new babies born each year in the UK knows the steps they can take to reduce the risk of cot death
Looking after your baby
You need to remember that cot death is rare and that if you follow advice such as sleeping your baby on the back, you will be reducing their risk of cot death considerably.
Since the introduction of our "reduce the risk of cot death" campaign in 1991 the number of babies dying has fallen by 75%. Advances in research mean we are regularly discovering new positive steps parents can take. Follow the steps below to give your baby the chance of a lifetime.
Advice for parents to reduce the risk of cot death:
Cut smoking in pregnancy - fathers too!
Do not let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby
Place your baby on the back to sleep
Do not let your baby get too hot
Keep baby's head uncovered - place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot, to prevent wriggling down under the covers
If your baby is unwell, seek medical advice promptly
The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a cot in your room for the first six months
Do not share a bed with your baby:
if you or your partner are smokers (no matter where or when you smoke)
have been drinking alcohol
take medication or drugs that make you drowsy
feel very tired.
or if your baby was born premature, was small at birth or is under three months old
There is also a risk that you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby, or that your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed, or could roll out of an adult bed and be injured.
Never sleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair
This advice is contained in the booklet "reduce the risk of cot death: an easy guide". Our award-wining BabyZone booklet covers all this advice as well as advising you on how to protect your baby from infections and accidents. Follow the links on the left to view the leaflets and go to our publications list to order your free copy.
If you have any questions about looking after your baby safely please call our Helpline on 020 7233 2090 or email helpline@sids.org.uk
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