New research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology and partly funded by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), shows that many parents are not treating daytime naps the same as their night-time sleeping regime. As a result, the now well-known practices aimed to avoid the risks of cot death or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), are still causing tragic loss of life.
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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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Lack of adult supervision
The study found that 75 per cent of babies who died during a daytime nap, where sleeping in a room without an adult present.
Whilst many parents might feel that a baby's nap will be less disturbed if the baby is in a room away from the daytime noise of the kitchen, television, talking etc, it is actually just as important that a baby sleep in the same room as an adult presence during the day, as it is during the night.
Current guidelines for night sleeping, for example, recommend that a baby sleep in a cot, in the same room as his parents, for the first six months.
Safe sleeping applies in the day, too
The study, "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the time of death: factors associated with night-time and day-time deaths", also found that babies who died during daytime sleeps were more likely to have been placed on their side to sleep, whereas current guidelines clearly recommend that a baby be put to sleep on his back.
It was also found that there were more cases where the baby's head had become covered by his bed clothes or blanket. The current guidelines state any bedding should be tucked in snugly in the crib or cot, not be loose, and that the baby should be placed at the bottom of the crib or cot, so that they are not able to wriggle further down under any covering.
Need for more day-time sleep awareness
On publication the findings, Joyce Epstein, the FSID's Director, said:
"Parents have long been advised of the importance of sleeping babies on their back and not letting their head get covered by bedclothes, and this study shows that the advice needs to be followed day and night. Parents have also long been advised that the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a cot at the side of the parents' bed for the first six months. Today's study shows that it is important for babies to always sleep in the same room as an adult. For day-time naps, we suggest keeping your baby nearby in a carrycot or in a playpen while you go about your daily chores or, if possible, having a nap whenever your baby naps."
For further information check www.sids.org.uk.
