Safe sleep in nurseries

[Sarahhelenrose]

Hi
Is there anywhere in ofsted which regulates safe sleeping for babies at nursery’s? As in they should sleep on the back at not on reclining bouncers?
Thanks

[MrsGrannyWeatherwax]

Can’t answer the question specifically but the risk for babies in bouncers is when left unattended whether asleep or awake. Can you not just say baby is not to be let sleep in bouncer? My nursery would be happy to comply.

[Sarahhelenrose]

Hi, yes I have requested my baby does never sleep on a reclining bouncer and they have agreed but it seems to bey the norm, and that concerns me as it’s v dangerous, I’m trying to bring awareness and hopefully changes things but I can’t find what the current regs are x

[MrsGrannyWeatherwax]

It’s a risk a lot of parents take, but I’ve personally not seen anything other than recommending that a flat hard surface is best. The only report I read about bouncers was from 2015 and suggested that most of the deaths were from strangulation when in supervised.

[MrsGrannyWeatherwax]

I’d think the sleepy head phenomenon is more dangerous than bouncers tbh too, since bouncers are atleast usually firm.

[PixieLumos]

It’s not ‘very dangerous’ - that’s like saying if a baby goes to sleep in a bouncer it’s likely to die, which of course it isn’t - although there is an increased risk it would still be very highly unlikely. The risk is very small, although not insignificant as of course we want to keep babies safe as possible.

[Sarahhelenrose]

Hi, it just goes against safe sleep regs for v you’re babies ie under 6 months when they can’t support their necks, ok not v dangerous but still not classed as safe sleep, I’m just trying to raise awareness

[LIZS]

Did their last ofsted comment on it? Dd had reflux and slept better in one. However it should not be the norm , do they have cots as well?

[PixieLumos]

Most people already know this information, there’s no awareness to be raised. It’s about understanding and managing risk - I let my DC sleep in his bouncer in the day because he had reflux and couldn’t get comfortable on his back - at night when I was asleep and obviously unable to supervise him he slept in his Moses basket even though it could take over an hour after a feed to get him back to sleep. That’s what this information is for - to make informed decisions and take calculated risks. The nursery will understand this too.

[MichonnesBBF]

The big thing being, they wont be unattended, there will always be someone in the room, when I worked in a baby room I had a parent pacifically state their child was to nap in the bouncy chair because as above they suffered from reflux.

There is a risk but it is minimal, there is still risks associated with cots/moses baskets and co-sleeping as well.

[dementedpixie]

My 2 used to have some sleeps in their bouncers. Don't think its an issue if is only occasional

[NellWilsonsWhiteHair]

Seems like I’m going against the grain here but I’d be surprised to see babies sleeping in bouncers at a nursery - I can sort of imagine it as a special request where a particular baby has reflux and parents have requested it (although even then I’d be briefly surprised), but definitely not as the norm as OP seems to suggest.

That’s not about me being judgy about ensuring the safest sleep ever - both mine bedshared with me from night 1 as an informed decision - but I’ve seen a lot of nurseries and they all have provision for every baby to lie flat on a small bed or in a nest thing.

Also doesn’t answer the point about ofsted - sorry!

[Sarahhelenrose]

From what I understand though it can be a silent killer, as the child just looks asleep. Ok, was just trying to raise awareness, you say people know I think you would be suprised how many people I’ve spoken to who don’t know, inc the nursery

[Rainycloudyday]

I understand what you’re saying OP and mean this kindly, but I’m not sure that a professional childcare setting will need or appreciate you educating them on safe sleep. If you have specific requests regarding your child’s sleep then of course discuss that with them but I’m pretty sure they have all the most up to date guidance and are rigorous in their practices otherwise ofsted would have something to say. A child sleeping in a bouncer is highly likely to be supervised and I would be 100% happy as a parent if they put my child to sleep that way, much better than not napping. I wouldn’t appreciate them refusing to do so because another parent had taken it upon herself to ‘educate’ them.

[Rainycloudyday]

I think the nursery may be humouring you OP.

[Sarahhelenrose]

Hi, I’m really not trying to get into a argument but as a new parent I feel quite passionate about this and have researched it, I’ve found in the US last year 133 babies died as asphyxiation in recliners when asleep, that’s 133 infancy deaths that could of been avoided, I have requested my child doesn’t sleep in one, I’m just concerned about other babies as I would hate for any parent to go through something so unavoidable...I guess there’s nothing I can do really, I’m just a ftm trying to make a change

[Sarahhelenrose]

Also in about 12 states recliners are banned completely for sleeping

[Sarahhelenrose]

I’m not trying to ‘educate’ as my OP said I’m trying to understand the current guidelines..it wasn’t that long ago parents were told to place babies on their tummy to sleep, times change

[Rainycloudyday]

I’m all for trying to avoid infant deaths OP, I really am. I just wonder how many of those cases in the US occurred while the child was under the supervision of qualified childcare staff, in the same room, with no risk factors such as a parent that had been drinking etc. I would be willing to bet not many! I totally understand the desperate wish to reduce the risk of anything happening to our precious children but I think you may be barking a bit up the wrong tree with this particular crusade. No wish to be unkind, it would be good if all parents cared as much!

[Jent13c]

In the US a lot of parents used to have their babies sleep in the Rock N Play recliner during night time sleep at a very young age. That's pretty high risk and not something I would do. I'd imagine that probably contributes to the high numbers you have quoted.

At nursery my little boy (who was always an atrocious sleeper) was rocked on a bouncer for his one nap a day with a scarf of mine to get the scent. I assessed the risks, he was supervised by a nursery worker sitting right beside him and this happened from around 9-12m at which point he switched to a crash mat once he was more used to the napping routine set by nursery. It worked for us and it meant he could have a rest and I knew that the nursery workers sat right in front of him while he snored away for a maximum of one hour a day.

[CherryPavlova]

The regulation relating to sleep in nurseries.

3.59. Sleeping children must be frequently checked. Except in childminding settings, there should be a separate baby room for children under the age of two. However, providers must ensure that children in a baby room have contact with older children and are moved into the older age group when appropriate.

If you want to raise awareness, you need to provide factually accurate information rather than alarmist headlines. There is no evidence at all to suggest babies sleeping in baby chairs is ‘extremely dangerous’. mortality is very rare. The main contributory factors for babies that die are well documented and there is no mention of baby bouncers.

There is research around car seats being used for long periods but the conclusion from that was about strangulations and very long periods in a fixed position that was scrunched up and potentially restricted breathing.

Greater risk factors are a smoking parent, poverty, prematurity and congenital abnormalities.

[ineedaholidaynow]

When DS was at nursery he slept in a cot until he was moved up to the older age group where he slept on a mat on the floor. Don't think I ever saw a baby sleep in a bouncer

[TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan]

I've loved at five nurseries in the last year before choosing one for DS, none of them had bouncers at all. For sleep or otherwise. Sleep solutions have been cots or wooden floor level best things with firm crash mat type pads. We went for one with proper cots and a separate (staffed) sleeping room because if given the option DS will crawl out of the floor best and go and play/wake the other children up. I did see one nursery where there was a baby asleep in their pram, but the person showing me around explained the parents had requested that target than the floor nest thing.

[Sarahhelenrose]

That’s really good to know, I saw 5 nurseries and the baby section all we’re asleep in bouncers.

[TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan]

*looked at
Nest not best!

[TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan]

@Sarahhelenrose are you in the UK? I really didn't think it was common here in a nursery setting