Baby Safe Sleeping Campaign

The CCGs in mid and south Essex, working in partnership with the wider health and care system, have launched a campaign to raise awareness about safe sleeping for young babies.

The Baby Safe Sleeping campaign aims to provide information to new parents and parents-to-be on how to create a safe sleeping environment for their baby. The CCGs are encouraging organisations, professionals and members of the public to get behind the campaign and share its messaging on social media and in person where appropriate.

Creating a safe sleeping environment is vital to keep babies safe, as the risks during sleep are particularly high for young babies. Every year, more than 200 babies die in the UK from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS occurs when a baby dies suddenly and unexpectantly with no obvious explanation. 88% of all SIDS occur in babies under 6 months old.

The exact causes of SIDS are not fully understood, but there are certain things which parents can do to reduce the risk. These focus on the sleeping environment and include:

• Laying a baby on their back for sleep. The best position is for the baby’s feet to be at the foot of the cot, tucking in bedding under the mattress and keeping the bedding no higher than shoulder height;
• Sharing a room with a baby for the first six months;
• Using cots of Moses Baskets for sleeping. Some sleeping products do not follow safer sleep guidelines and are not recommended like cushioned sleeping pods, nests, baby hammocks etc.
• Co-sleeping (sharing with a bed with a baby) is not recommended. Parents should never share a bed with a baby when their baby was born premature or at a low weight (below 2.5kg / 5½ lbs); and they should never share a bed with a baby if they smoke, have been drinking alcohol or have taken drugs, including prescription medicines that cause drowsiness;
• Never sleeping with a baby on an armchair or sofa;
• Keeping a cot clear of anything but bedding: this includes but is not limited to removing soft toys, pillows, duvets, and cot bumpers;
• Keeping a baby at a comfortable temperature, around 16-20°C, and regularly checking their temperature by feeling the back of their neck or chest.

For more information on safe sleeping advice for babies, visit: https://bit.ly/mse-baby-safe-sleeping

Below you will find some of the resources to support the Baby Safe Sleeping campaign.

Resources

Toolkit

The below toolkit provides further information about the campaign as well as template wording you can use on websites, in internal newsletters and also on social media.

Posters and other materials

The below e-guide summarises all the advice and information from the campaign. Residents can download this guide as well as the checklist below and keep these on their device or print them out if they choose. The posters can be used in health and public settings and include a QR code that links to the main Baby Safe Sleeping webpage.

Social media graphics

A number of graphics have also been created, including plain, numbered graphics designed to go with template posts in the toolkit, as well as more informative graphics which summarises the safe sleeping advice. All these can be shared with the hashtag #BabySafeSleeping (link to twitter search)

Thank you for your support in sharing our campaign with local residents.