Advice to keep baby from cot death

By Emily Pearce

Saturday, April 21, 2012

 

PARENTS have been warned against sleeping with their baby in a bid to cut the number of cot deaths.

Although the number of cot deaths on the Island is low — there have been fewer than five in the past ten years — the NHS says more can be done to prevent further cases.

It has relaunched its Every Sleep Matters campaign to remind parents of safety precautions they can take, such as placing their baby on his or her back in a cot in their room, not to smoke around their baby and never to sleep with their baby on a sofa or armchair.

Annie Hunter, head of midwifery at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust said: "It’s not known why some babies die suddenly and for no apparent reason from sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death. Experts do know placing a baby to sleep on their back reduces the risk and exposing a baby to cigarette smoke or overheating a baby increases the risk.

"Thankfully cot death is very rare on the Island, so new mums and dads shouldn’t let it stop them enjoying their baby’s first few months. We do, however, make sure that all new parents know, when they leave the maternity unit, how to to reduce the risks as much as possible."

Reporter: emilyp@iwcpmail.co.uk

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