Taking place from the 11th – 17th March, Safer Sleep Week is The Lullaby Trust’s annual national awareness campaign targeting anyone looking after a young baby.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby for no obvious reason and although we don’t yet know how to completely prevent SIDS, it is possible to significantly lower the chances of it happening by following safe sleep advice.
The safest place
The theme for this year’s Safer Sleep Week is ‘the safest place’. It aims to show parents and carers the simplest way to create a safe sleep space for their baby that will help to protect their vulnerable airway, and reduce the risk of SIDS and accidents.
The lullaby trust advises that “babies’ airways are vulnerable, particularly in the first few months of life. It is important that parents and carers are aware of this and they know what actions they can take to protect them. The simplest way to do this is by sleeping a baby on their back on a firm, flat surface with no padded or cushioned areas. This will help to keep their airway open and reduce the risk of suffocation and SIDS. A cot, moses basket, bassinet, carry cot or crib all fulfil these criteria.”
To find out more about the campaign and safe sleep advice, you can visit the Safer Sleep webpage.
The Lullaby Trust also offer confidential bereavement support to anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or young child. Bereavement support information can be found on the Lullaby Trust website.
Visit the Lullaby Trust website
