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?

Slings are not meant to be used if the parent is sleeping

Another risk factor with cot numbers is that they can lead to a carbon dioxide reservoir developing around the baby's head, so he's not breathing enough oxygen (rebreathing his own exhaled carbon dioxide instead). You need a good flow of air.

*cot bumpers, that should be.

Using "my family/friends did this and they're all fine" as a defence is totally wrong-headed (as it nearly always is when used to justify ignoring health advice).

SIDS has always been uncommon and the vast majority of babies will not suffer at all if safe sleep advice is not followed. But that small chance of losing a baby to SIDS can be very significantly reduced by following the advice.

Equally I see people on the flip side in the grip of anxiety about following the advice to the absolute letter (panic about having to move baby to its own room when it is 5 months and 3 weeks old and so on).

In general a lot of people just seem spectacularly bad at assessing risk.

I find it hard to believe.

I discharge new mums from hospital and not only are they given a comprehensive booklet the basics are verbally drummed into them and we have to tick a box saying we've had that conversation. I would be amazed if other hospitals don't do the same.

I discharge new mums from hospital and not only are they given a comprehensive booklet the basics are verbally drummed into them and we have to tick a box saying we've had that conversation. I would be amazed if other hospitals don't do the same.

I had my baby 7.5 months ago and no one told me anything about safe sleeping, was also discharged from hospital when he still wasn't feeding and hadn't had a wet nappy (2 days after he was born). I read up on everything baby related while I was pregnant but some hospitals are dismal at following procedures.

Between the hospital leaflet and the Ines given my the HV I had over 4 inches of leaflets. There was no way with being ill and a new baby I could possible read them all.

fatmammy I would be complaining to the hospital about that treatment.

We had a long discharge talk which I could not be bothered with. When I was readmitted to hospital with my bf baby I awoke one night to find a member of staff had put an additional blanket on top of my bay who was in a vest, baby grow and gro baby so I had probably over dressed her anyway.