Help Your Baby Sleep Safe

There are a few basic guidelines that doctors and health visitors set out, to help your baby sleep safe every night (or naptime)

For me, and no doubt any Mother, the fear of cot death in your baby is terrifying. For the first six months especially when the risk of cot death is at its highest, every time I woke in the night I would check my babies to make sure they were still breathing (good job the moses basket was next to the bed)

I have never been in contact with anyone who has lost a child to cot death, but it must be devastating. So here are a few tips on safe sleep for baby, these are UK department of health guidelines, and you should check with your care provider to make sure nothing has changed.

Baby sleep safe tips

• Always make sure you put baby to sleep on his back.
• Always put baby in the feet to foot position. This makes sure that he cannot slip down the cot and under the blankets, make sure baby's head is uncovered.
• Do not smoke in your house, especially not in baby's room.
• Check to make sure baby isn't too hot, check baby's tummy and chest, if he feels hot, remove some bedding. (babies hands and feet are normally cool to the touch)
• Room temperature where baby sleeps should not be hot, keep to about 18 degrees celcius.
• Never put baby's cot next to a heat source, radiator, or in direct sunshine.
• Never put hot water bottles or electric blankets in baby's cot.
• Use sheets and lightweight blankets, no quilts or pillows until after 12 months of age.
• Keep baby's cot in your room for the first six months.
• Do not sleep with baby in your bed if you have had alcohol, taken any form of drug or medication or if you are extremely tired.
• Never sleep on a sofa with your baby.
• If baby seems unwell, get him checked over promptly.

If you follow these guidelines then you are obviously doing the right things to keep baby safe.To take a look at a video about keeping baby safe during sleep click here. It can take a little while to load, so please be patient.

If you need more info on cot death, either contact your health provider, or click here to be taken to the SIDS website: Foundation for the study of infant deaths

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