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Safer Sleep for Professionals

Safer Sleep - Professionals

Promoting Safe Baby Care

There is no advice that guarantees the prevention of SIDS or SUDC but parents should be informed that, by following the safer sleep advice, it is possible to significantly lower the chance of this tragedy occurring.

Parents make decisions on safe baby care, for example about where to sleep their new baby and what bedding to buy, at different times. Therefore it is vitally important for midwives and other professionals working with parents during pregnancy to target parents with our safer sleep message.

This advice should be followed up by the midwife after the birth, and again by the health visitor in the early weeks of the baby’s life.

It is essential that all professionals in touch with parents and visiting the family home make sure that the messages are understood by them, and do not assume that someone else has already offered leaflets or other materials.

SUDI Thinking Tool

Although Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), sometimes referred to as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is now rare, in 2020 there remained 168 unexplained infant deaths across the entire UK.  Accurate research and information are now available about how and where babies die and more so, how to prevent them dying.  All professionals in contact with parents have a crucial role to support them to understand how to avoid the specific risks for their baby, targeted to their specific needs.

The key messages on pages 3 and 4 of the below document, will help professionals to have open and non-judgmental conversations with parents about their choice of sleeping environment for their infant.

The SUDI Thinking Tool on page 5 to 8 should be used to prompt curious conversations and offer targeted support to promote safe sleeping arrangements for infants under one year.

SUDI Thinking Tool

Training

Thurrock LSCP offer an E-Learning course on Safer Sleeping for Babies - Reducing the Risk of SIDS - if you would like to learn more about the course, or to apply, please click here.

Should you any additional questions about the advice, the research or anything else, please contact the Lullaby Trust as detailed below:-

Resources

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