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ThinkBaby safety
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Factors known to help reduce the risk of cot death
- Mothers should avoid smoking during pregnancy
- Parents should never let anyone smoke around their baby
- Always put a baby on his back to sleep
- A baby should sleep in a cot in the same room as his parents for the first six months
- Make sure a baby is not too hot and does not sleep with his head covered
- Do not allow yourself to fall asleep with your baby on a sofa
- Put a baby to sleep with his feet at the bottom of the cot so there is no danger of
wriggling under covers
- If a baby usually sleeps with a dummy remember to give it to him every night, up to 12
months
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May 1 sees the start of 'Save a Baby Month', a campaign set up by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID). It's aim is very simple: to educate or simply remind every parent of the basics of safe sleeping for babies.
The FSID is one of the country's largest charities dedicated to better education about minimising the risk of cot death in babies. 'Cot death' is when a baby dies suddenly and unexpectedly, and is associated with certain high risk factors that can mean a baby dies whilst asleep.
By identifying some of the main risk factors, the instance of 'cot death' has, happily, fallen by 75 per cent over the past 15 years. However, 300 babies still die for no obvious reason, each year, and work continues on research and better new-parent awareness.
Get involved in Save a Baby Month
In order to engage new parents and parents-to-be, there are different ways in which people can connect with the campaign.
By visiting www.fsid.org.uk during the month, May 1 to 31, you can enter a free prize draw to win some wonderful nursery prizes.
For more information on safe infant care and sleeping, you can call 020 7233 2090 or go to the website. And if you want to get involved with fundraising activities for the charity, call 020 7222 8003.
