55% of parents unaware of safe sleep for babies??

[TinfoilHattie]

Woman talking about sudden infant death on BBC just said that 55% of parents are unaware of the very basics of safe sleeping for newborns - sleeping on their back, in a clear cot. They also mentioned things like not covering their heads and only sleeping in bed with you if you're not drunk but that's not the 55% thing - just the very basics of sleeping on their backs without loads of clutter around them.

Where are all these people who do not know this? I had my first in 2003 and it was drummed into me, several times. Anne Diamond has been campaigning on putting babies on their back for about 25 years, and very effectively too.

Rubbish statistic, or are parents really so ignorant?

I had my first in the mid 90s and thanks to Anne Diamond the message was definitely 'back to sleep' even then. DS1 did have a cot bumper though, and mighty hideous it was too.

Right, I'm really embarrassed, but am going to ask anyway ... what's the issue with cot bumpers? We got one when our son, at ten months, started banging his head on the edge bars. Thought it was a sensible thing to do, but looks like I'm mistaken. Should I remove it? (Hate the look of the things , but we thought it was a sensible move!).

PS Disclaimer: we adopted DS at eight months and received none of the safe sleeping advice you have mentioned in the above posts.

Can anyone tell me the advice about these
www.johnlewis.com/sleepyhead-deluxe-silver-lining-pod-grey/p3128085#media-overlay_show

I notice that John Lewis still sell cot bumpers despite the safety information which even I know about!
I belong to a Quilting group full of "old ladies " and it's the done thing to make baby quilts - they may be either unknowingly wasting their time or putting babies in danger. I am making a play quilt for the floor for my new little DGD .
I also was going to make a new born sleep bag until my daughter said not to. It was a pattern in my sewing magazine. Seems to me that some education is required for the extensive crafting industry.

I think people do know but choose to ignore it.

I have a friend who's baby sleep on their front and in their own room, because he sleeps better that way.

It's the 'they're just guidelines, you do it your way hun' thinking.

I wonder if their study included people who said "No, I've never heard of that phrase." or of people who didn't know the rules? Anyone who has my current HV might not have heard of "sleep-safe" but will have heard of "feet-to-foot". Little things like that could twist results.

If they record how people's babies sleep that could affect it as well. We co-sleep. We follow all of the guidelines and do so safely, but if she could I think the HV would report me to SS for it as she detests it.

Rufus justiceforpreston.blogspot.co.uk is a good place to start, their son died after getting tangled in cot bumpers. They are on Facebook under Justice for Preston. There is some info about an American study here www.lullabytrust.org.uk/cot-bumpers-pose-serious-risk if you want to look it up further.

And now I just found this
www.johnlewis.com/theraline-baby-pillow/p231220357
Yet the Lullaby Trust recommend no pillow. This is for birth upwards. I am so confused now. If something is being sold in JL then I for one would consider them a reputable store - maybe that is a presumption too many?

At ten months I'm not sure if a cot bumper is still so much an issue. BUT the problem with them is they restrict air flow, so can lead to a baby over heating.

One problem is that my SIL still isn't on board with all these guidelines (new since she had hers), and people like her will still be influencing the next generation of mothers.

Add message | Report | Message poster drinkyourmilk Mon 13-Mar-17 08:17:56
I'm due next week and both the midwife, health visitor and co-ordinators at the antenatal classes have banged on about safe sleeping. How can people not know?!
I have a side sleeper cot (next2me ) which is currently against the wall. Health visitor was very clear that if I chose to attach it she would need to record me as ignoring advice (I'm 40 ffs- and am capable of making me own mind up, but that's another story). So maybe if I attached the cot I would be recorded as not knowing about safe sleeping?
As a pp pointed out, I think people do know and are told repeatedly - they just choose to do something different.

That's very odd as they aren't sleeping with you in one of those but beside you in a separate cot?? My midwife then HV both recorded where DS was sleeping n his and said they are fantastic as help reduce the sids risk as they are so close to you that you are in tune with them but totally safe from you squishing them?! I'd question that and show them it attached to your bed and how it's still a seperate bed.

I do honestly think people play the "it's just guidelines hun" line more now because (like phrases like "it's just measles") people have forgotten why the guidelines are there.

My mother lost a baby to cot death. She knew three other women who also did. My grandmother lost two siblings as a child from silent pneumonia/cot death/unknown causes and that wasn't unusual. I don't have any friends/acquaintances who have lost a child who don't know why (if you know what I mean). So people have, imo, got complacent about why the guidelines are what they are. Especially because they don't know why, and many people have a friend who "done it this way and it never did mine any harm".

Grosnugs can be used from birth, weight minimum is 5lb then up to Grobags as they get bigger. My twins has grosnugs but still didn't fit into them for quite some time even though they were 4lb 1 and 5lb 6 when born, they were just tiny.

When I was pregnant my HV did her first visit and left a lengthy leaflet on what tobdo/not to do with regards to SIDS. I'm assuming it's something they do with everybody. 55% doesn't sound right. Parents are given the information and I'd never refuse to read a leaflet that would potentially save my sons life.

Although mine was in his own room at 4.5 months. I wasn't happy about it at all. He's a big boy and outgrew his moses basket. Cot wouldn't fit in our room. Loaded up on all the baby monitoring tech I could find.

I think you also need to follow your instincts. Some of the advice may not be possible depending on your circumstances.

I'd question the 55%.
Unless they have asked questions looking for set phases, like foot to foot, but somebody saying on their back at the bottom is classed as wrong. I would also imagine if you ask the parent of an 12 month old "how does your baby sleep" you would get a different answer from what they would give when baby was 12 weeks.

I've 2 LOs but never been to an antenatal class but been aware of safe sleeping from leaflets, post natal midwives, community mw's, HV's. I do think people ignore advice for various reasons, things like the pillow pointed out up thread are most likely safe and it looks fairly firm so parents will use it. When my baby was a week of so the foot to foot thing was pushed again "including in the pram" seriously how does that work, put their face under the apron???

I've not seen the bit on tv about it yet, but did they refer to it as SIDs, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, as it is not called that anymore, it is now SUDI, Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy.

You can't assume that just because shops sell something there is no risk attached. Babies and toddlers are far safer in rear facing car seats but no one complains about John Lewis selling forward facing seats, despite it increasing the risk of your child being killed, much like cot bumpers or pillows.

Thanks Nerr . Really helpful. I'm mortified!

I don't find it that hard to believe. Nobody has mentioned to me about how baby should be placed to sleep. I had heard of putting baby at bottom of Moses basket etc but my mum doesn't believe in doing that as she was never told to do that

Bit hmm at the comment that under 25s may not remember them all. I guess over 25s will not have any problems then!?

Nobody said this did they? I think someone said that people with children aged 25 may not know the current guidelines.

Is the advice still "feet to foot (of cot)" as well?

I can well believe it - I had an argument with a friend about this. Was told babies sleep better on their fronts, it's all personal choice, etc, etc. Made me bloody furious

The parent information leaflet from the Lullaby trust says to put the baby foot to foot still

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/document.doc?id=303

Rufus no need for you to be mortified but it shows that you were let down by SW not giving you the info you needed to care for a young baby. Congratulations xx

Tinymack I think that it's a common problem grand parents pushing the out of date advice they were given and dutifully followed. Let's hope our generation will be better when we become grannies and support the most current advice or at least try to understand why the advice has changed.

Babies do tend to sleep better on their fronts. That's actually the problem. They won't wake up as easily if something is wrong.

Babies do tend to sleep better on their fronts. That's actually the problem. They won't wake up as easily if something is wrong.

It's the same with "They sleep better in their own room as we disturb them less". Often they do, but babies getting into very deep sleeps isn't always a good thing.