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Parents and carers in Jersey are being offered advice and guidance on how to help their little ones have a safer sleep as part of a campaign to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Safer Sleep Week is The Lullaby Trust’s national awareness campaign targeting anyone looking after a young baby.
In Jersey, members of Family Nursing & Home Care’s Baby Steps team have this week been sharing advice in a number of pop-ups across the island.
Their key messages are:
Every baby needs a cot.
The safest place for a baby to sleep is in a firm, flat, clear, separate sleep space.
A baby’s airway is vulnerable and need to be protected. Sleeping a baby on their back on a firm, flat surface will help to keep their airway open and also reduce the risk of SIDS.
It is not safe for babies to sleep on soft-sided pods or nests, hammocks, sleep positioners, or bean bags or have cot bumpers, weighted bedding blankets, pillows, and duvets in their sleep space.
Bouncers and baby swings are only for use when a baby is awake, and they should not sleep, nap or doze in them. If baby falls asleep, move them to a firm, flat surface.
Parents who co-sleep should still have a cot or Moses basket for their baby for nights when circumstances change and co-sleeping becomes high-risk. For example, a parent or carer has had any alcohol or taken any medication that makes them drowsy.
Car seats are essential for safety but babies should not sleep in them when not travelling.
The safest baby carrier to use will keep the infant firmly in an upright position where a parent can always see their baby’s face, and ensure their airways are free. The risk appears to be greatest when a baby’s airway is obstructed either by their chin resting on their chest or their mouth and nose being covered by a parent’s skin or clothing.
If parents don’t have access to a cot or Moses basket, advice can be given on what to do and how to create a safer sleep space. Every family should have a safe space for their baby to sleep.
Mandy Jones, Baby Steps Team Co-ordinator and Midwife, said: “This evidenced-based campaign is a really effective way of letting parents and carers know that by putting very simple cost free measures in place, we can save babies’ lives.
"Although we cover the subject of safe sleep in our Baby Steps Programme, we estimate that only about 50% of expectant/new parents in Jersey attend these sessions.
"Therefore, it’s important for us to ensure we promote the safe sleep message as widely as possible to all parents and also other carers of young babies, such as grandparents, who wouldn’t normally have access to our programme."
You will find members of Family Nursing & Home Care’s Baby Steps team at the following locations to offer help and advice around safer sleeping for babies:
Wednesday 13 March
St. Paul’s Centre Clinic from 13:00 to 16:00
Thursday 14 March
Pathways Centre, St Clement from 09:00 to 11:30
Friday 15 March
Communicare Clinic from 13:45 to 15:15
More information on Safer Sleep Week is available on the Lullaby trust’s website.
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