What steps can I take to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy?
The SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping program teaches parents how to create a safe sleeping environment for babies and young children.

1) Put baby on the back to sleep from birth
2) Sleep baby with head and face uncovered
3) Avoid exposing babies to cigarette smoke before birth and after
4) Sleep baby in a safe cot and in a safe environment
5) Sleep baby in its own cot or bassinette in the same room as the parents for the first 6-12 months.

What are the risk factors for Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI)?

-Sleeping baby on the tummy or side
-Sleeping baby on a soft surface e.g. soft mattress, pillow, and waterbed
-Sleeping baby on a sofa (with or without a parent)
-Loose bedding and puffy bedding
-Sleeping baby with face or head covered
-Exposing babies to tobacco smoke before birth or after
-Sleeping baby in an unsafe cot or in an unsafe environment

Ensure that baby’s face and head stays uncovered during sleep. The best way to achieve this is to use a baby sleeping bag.

Puffy items in a baby’s sleeping environment can increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death. It is best to remove loose, doonas, duvets,
pillows, cot bumpers, lambs wool and fluffy toys.

What is a safe sleeping environment?
A safe sleeping environment means that all potential dangers have been removed and the baby is sleeping in a safe place. The ideal place for a baby to sleep is in a safe cot, with a safe mattress, safe bedding and in a safe environment. Other things to look out for include:
Dangling cords or string Keep the cot away from any cords hanging from blinds, curtains or electrical appliances as they could get caught around baby’s neck. Keep decorative mobiles out of the reach of curious little hands and mouths.Heaters and electrical appliances
Keep heaters or any electrical appliances well away from the cot to avoid the risk of overheating, burns and electrocution. A baby cannot escape from a heat source to cool down and does not know how to remove bedclothes.

Never use electric blankets, hot water bottles or wheat bags for babies or young children.

Is it safe to wrap/swaddle my baby?
Research shows that one of the best ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and SUDI is to sleep baby on the back. However, some babies have difficulty settling and staying asleep whilst on their back. For these babies wrapping can be a useful method to assist them to settle and stay asleep as wrapping has been shown to reduce crying time and episodes of waking. Wrapping has also been shown to provide stability, which may help to keep babies in the recommended back position.

What is a safe baby sleeping bag?
A safe baby sleeping bag is constructed in such a way that the baby cannot slip inside the bag and become completely covered. The sleeping
bag should be the correct size for the baby with a fitted neck, armholes (or sleeves) and no hood.

When using a sleeping bag ensure that the baby is dressed according to the room temperature and do not use sleeping bags in addition with quilts or doonas. If additional warmth is needed, a light blanket is usually all that is necessary, but take care to tuck the blanket in firmly so it cannot ride up and cover baby’s head during sleep. Another way to provide additional warmth is to dress your baby in layers of clothing within the sleeping bag to keep baby warm

Benefits of sleeping bags
Evidence suggests that sleeping bags may assist in reducing the incidence of SUDI, SIDS and fatal sleep accidents, possibly because they delay the baby rolling in to the high-risk tummy position.

Sleeping bags prevent legs from dangling out of the cot rails.

How much clothing/bedding does baby need?
Babies control their temperature through the face. Sleeping baby on the back and ensuring that the face and head remains uncovered during sleep is the best way to protect baby from overheating and suffocation. Sleeping baby in a sleeping bag will prevent bedclothes covering the baby’s face. Another way to prevent overheating is to remove hats or bonnets from baby as soon as you come indoors or enter a warm car, bus or train, even if it means waking the baby.

Never fall asleep with baby lying on its tummy on your chest.

What do I do when baby starts to roll into the tummy position?
Most SIDS occurs under 6 months of age so try not to have baby sleep on the tummy before this time.

Most back-sleeping babies can’t actually roll onto the tummy by themselves until about 5-6 months of age although a few can roll from a younger age. Babies who sleep on their back tend to roll onto their tummy later than side sleeping infants. This probably plays a part in why the back position is safer for babies as they do not roll into the high-risk tummy position during a vulnerable period of development. The delay in rolling is normal and does not affect the baby’s later development.

Steps to follow when babies start to roll on to the tummy
Give baby extra tummy time to play when awake and supervised as this helps baby to develop stronger neck and upper body muscles which in turn enables them to roll back over. It is best to start giving baby supervised tummy time from birth.

Consider using an infant sleeping bag as these can delay rolling over.

If you use blankets rather than a sleeping bag, make sure that the baby’s feet are touching the bottom of the cot to prevent baby wriggling under the blankets and tuck the blankets in securely.

Make sure that baby is on a firm and well fitting mattress.

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