Suffolk’s public health and trading standards teams are working together to promote top tips for safe sleeping and to recommend nursery and sleeping products that meet strict safety standards.
Cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are thankfully rare, but health leads are highlighting important advice to reassure parents and carers with the confidence to provide the safest possible sleeping environment.
The key message from The Lullaby Trust for Safe Sleeping Week is ‘keep it simple, keep it safe’, encouraging parents and carers to only have a maximum of two items in a child’s cot:
- a firm, flat waterproof mattress, and;
- lightweight bedding.
Other advice to reduce the risk of SIDS includes:
- the safest place for babies to sleep is in a cot or Moses basket in the same room as their parents/carers
- babies should sleep on their backs, placed on a firm, flat mattress with no toys or other excess items around
- maintain a comfortable room temperature – between 16°C and 20°C is ideal
- keep your baby’s sleep environment smoke-free and never share a bed if you have consumed alcohol or drugs.
Over the last year, Suffolk’s trading standards imports team have detained over 1150 unsafe baby sleeping products that have come through the Port of Felixstowe. The products failed testing, presenting risks such as choking, suffocation overheating and entrapment. Trading Standards is calling on parents and carers to be vigilant when purchasing baby sleep products, particularly avoiding so-called ‘baby nests’ or ‘baby pillows’ which could pose serious risks to the health and well-being of your child and, in worst cases, death.
Parents are asked not to use any of these products for at least the first 12 months and not to place these items in a cot or crib. Retailers are advised of their obligation under product safety law to only place safe products on the market and not to promote these items for children under the age of 12 months.
Cllr Steve Wiles, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public protection said:
“This is important advice to reassure all parents and carers of very young children that they are providing the best possible environment for safe sleeping.
“These are simple steps to protect babies and provide peace of mind for parents and carers, and to emphasise the role that businesses play in selling items responsibly.”
For further information, visit the Lullaby Trust website at www.lullabytrust.org.uk
Suffolk Trading Standards is also available for guidance on product safety at www.suffolk.gov.uk/tradingstandards.
