More SI Babies Experiencing "Unbroken Journey of Safe Sleep"

More South Island Babies Experiencing "Unbroken Journey of Safe Sleep" this Safe Sleep Day

4 December 2014

As we mark Safe Sleep Day, more babies across South Island DHBs should have an ‘unbroken journey of safe sleep’ thanks to the introduction of the Safe Sleep Policy across South Island DHBs during the last 12 months.

This is a particularly timely, with Christmas approaching and families more likely to be sleeping away from home in make shift arrangements parents need to make every sleep a safe sleep.

Community Paediatrician and member of the Child Health Group of the South Island Alliance (CHSLA) Dr Baker explains: "We know that the holiday season can be a time when people might put babies more at risk from SUDI in an unsafe sleep space; there are very high risks if a baby sleeps with a caregiver who is impaired by alcohol or exhaustion."

Sleeping away from home in make shift arrangements can be a hazard: "Parents need to make every sleep a safe sleep. The focus should be on a providing a firm surface and making sure baby cannot suffer face covering or pressure on the chest for instance if wedged between a mattress and wall – snugly kills! Sleeping in a drawer is much safer that on a beanbag, pillow or chair," says Dr Baker.

Each year 40-50 babies on average die in New Zealand from Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), it is the most common cause of death for babies under the age of 12 months. The risk of SUDIis greatest for babies who have been exposed to smoke during pregnancy and death is more common in Maori infants. Having a baby’sbreathing compromised through unsafe sleep practices is a major cause, and risks are much greater with tummy sleeping and sleeping in adult beds or places not designed for infant sleep.

In late 2013, the CHSLA developed a Safe Sleep Policy to ensure that South Island DHB health professionals had the necessary skills and resources to model safe sleeping arrangements and advice for infants, families and whanau. The policy recommends mandatory training and updates about prevention of SUDI and ways of communicating risks to families. It also promotes safe sleep practices within DHB settings, and fosters continuous quality improvement with audit and evaluation of practice and skills.

This policy is now being implemented by all South Island DHBs, which should have a direct impact on families wellbeing, as Nick Baker explains: "As a significant portion of SUDI deaths result from suffocation in the place of sleep. Ensuring that every sleep is a safe sleep for infants both in and out of hospital can lead to a reduction in SUDI. The policy has helped to support all South Island DHBs to implement safe sleep practices, which means that more parents and families are being assisted to achieve safe sleep and ultimately achieve better health outcomes for babies."This is particularly important for infants who have smoked before birth or are vulnerable in others ways for instance by being born prematurely with complications who are at increased risk of SUDI:"It is especially important that infants with the greatest needs get the most support."

During 2015 CHSLA members will also be extending their focus from supporting safe sleep practices in hospital based services to including community based providers and to increasing community awareness of the real risks facing babies who are experiencing unsafe sleep practices.

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board (NMDHB) is one of the South Island providers that has adopted the policy, and their proactive approach is helping parents make sleeping choices for their babies which will help keep them safe explains Maureen Higgs, Special Care Baby Unit Charge Nurse Manager: "We like to empower parents to do the right thing and to ensure anyone looking after their child will follow the same principles." The NMDHB safe sleep approach incorporates lots of resources to help inform and educate parents. For example, establishing a safe sleep plan before they leave hospital, or engaging the Pepi-Pod portable sleep space and safety education programme.

Safe sleepingfor babies includes:

Putting babies to sleep on their backs so they can breathe unobstructed, and making sure there is no bedding nearby that might cover their faces. Avoid using pillows or loose blankets, remove any cords from bedding, and ensure there are no gaps in their bed in which they might become wedged.

Make sure babies sleep in a smoke-free environment and that the room is not too hot, so they will not overheat while sleeping.

Babies are safest when sleeping in their own cot or bassinette, and in the same room as their parents for the first six months of their lives.

Ensure the person looking after a baby is sober, drug-free and alert to the baby’s needs

The Child Health Service Level Alliance is a close collaboration

of child health professionals working to help deliver a better, more efficient health service for children, young people and their families living in the South Island. The South Island Alliance is a working partnership between the five South Island District Health Boards to support a clinically and financially sustainable South Island health system where services are as close to people’s homes as possible.

Links to safe sleeping resources

https://www.healthed.govt.nz/resource/keep-your-baby-safe-during-sleep

http://www.comcom.govt.nz/fair-trading/product-safety-standards/household-cots/

http://www.trademe.co.nz/trust-safety/2014/7/9/guide-to-buying-second-hand-infant-sleep-products/

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