Safe Sleep
Parents need to know how to make every sleep a safe sleep for their babies.

This page has valuable information on the prevention of the three main types of Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infants (SUDI):

SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This is where no identifiable cause of death can be found following autopsy, clinical history, and scene examination. These babies usually die in their sleep.
Unintentional suffocation - the second component of SUDI is unintentional suffocation where baby is in a position that causes asphyxiation in their sleeping environment. Examples of this are wedging or overlay. These incidents are explained.
Other deaths - the third component of SUDI is medical deaths such as heart disease, meningitis, pneumonia or infectious diseases. Conditions at time of death remained undiagnosed until the coronial process identified the cause. These incidents are explained.

SUDI is the main cause of death in NZ for children 1 month to 1 year

>30

More than 30 deaths are attributed to SUDI every year.

Remember the ABCs of safe sleep:

PLACE baby in his or her own baby bed, face clear of bedding

Placing baby in a baby bed, face clear of bedding, helps protect baby from SUDI
Make sure there are no pillows or toys in the baby bed
Make sure that the bedding does not cover baby’s face
Make sure the mattress is firm and there are no gaps between mattress and the sides of the baby bed

ELIMINATE smoking in pregnancy, and protect baby with a smoke free whanau, whare and waka

POSITION baby flat on his or her back to sleep, face up towards the heavens

Positioning baby on his or her back to sleep, helps protect baby from SUDI. Babies are 14 times safer sleeping on their backs than on their tummies
If baby sleeps on his or her tummy, their airway can get blocked
Do not use pillows or anything that can flex the neck. This can block the airway too.

ENCOURAGE and support mum, so baby is breastfed