It’s Safe Sleep Week next week! Talk with parents and carers about best practice

Running from 11 to 18 March 2019, Red Nose Safe Sleep Week provides vital safety information to reduce the risk of SIDS and fatal sleep accidents.

The has relevance to early childhood education and care (ECEC)  services that provide care for infants and toddlers , and provides educators with the resources to support safe sleep practices within the families in their care.

The eight-day safe sleeping awareness campaign aims to provide Australian parents and carers with vital safe sleep recommendations to reduce risk of sudden and unexpected death in infancy (including SIDS and fatal sleep accidents).

Red Nose Chief Health Advisor and Registered Midwife Jane Wiggill said the campaign aims to educate every parent and carer in Australia with easy to understand, evidence-based advice.

“Sudden and unexpected death in infancy is a very real fear for parents, and it can be a challenge to know what you can be doing at home to reduce your risk,” she says.

“There is a lot of conflicting information, and our aim is to make sure parents receive the right information.

“Red Nose has been educating parents [and carers] in safe sleeping for 40 years, and in that time we have seen a reduction in sudden and unexpected death by 85 per cent.

“This is 10,000 little lives saved.”

Safe Sleep Week will explore topics such as:

• Why you should sleep your baby on their back
• Why baby’s head and face should be uncovered during sleep
• The risks of a smoking during pregnancy and after birth
• What is a safe sleeping environment?
• Sleeping your baby in your room for the first 12 months
• Breastfeeding
• Setting up a safe nursery
• Moving from cot to bed (for toddlers).

The campaign will run across Red Nose’s social media channels and website, and includes live Q and A sessions and demonstrations, education tools, videos and more.

“Everything parents need to know to reduce their at-home risk will be covered,” Jane says. “There is no rulebook for parents, but there are facts. And that is the only thing we are interested in. Our aim is to make sure people know the facts so they can make the best decisions for their family.”

ECEC educators and their families can join in the campaign by following Red Nose’s Facebook page.