Safer Sleeping Guidance for Practitioners to Support Parents/Carers in Reducing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
We would like to encourage all practitioners, working with babies and young children, to speak to parents/carers about safer sleeping, particularly where they are aware of a change of routine for their babies or infants. Please find the links here for the official advice around Safer Sleeping:
We know that greater awareness of safer sleep leads to a decrease in the numbers of babies dying. Sadly, around 4 babies a week still die from sudden infant death (SIDS). If all parents were aware of safer sleep advice many lives could be saved. Around 700,000 babies are born in the UK every year – we need to continue to reach out to all new parents with our safer sleep message.
Please see the link to our webpage here for advice for parents/carers around safer sleeping for you to refer parents and carers to – Safer Sleeping Guidance for Parents/Carers with Babies and Infants – Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership (pdscp.co.uk)
Following a Local Serious Case Review into the death of Baby N published in 2016, the then Local Safeguarding Child Board partners carried out wide ranging awareness raising campaign with practitioners and new parents of the importance of safe sleeping. Subsequent audit and quality assurance work has shown that processes have largely been embedded in practice in terms of ensuring that safer sleeping advice is given and recorded, and baby’s sleep arrangements are routinely seen by practitioners visiting the home.
However, these messages need refreshing and refocusing as the research has developed further and increased risk factors are better recognised. The number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases had been declining nationally but has started to rise again. This has begun to be reflected locally.
The challenge for practitioners working with parents/carers is to ensure that the advice they give helps families to relate safer sleeping messages to their own situations and creates motivation to act upon them.
Practitioners can also prompt families to think about “what if” factors related to when family’s ‘normal routine’ is disrupted (e.g. guests staying, Christmas, parties or events, holidays, babysitter, baby staying with another family member etc.) This is a known increased risk factor.
Sources of information and advice:
Lift the baby – London Irish Rugby Club video for fathers/partners
Safer Sleep for Every Sleep Poster
