Member News: The Foster Care Co-operative - Fostering Infants? Get Safe Sleep Advice & Help

​If you are a foster parent its good to be aware of the latest research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) which has shown that reducing certain parental and environmental factors such as co-sleeping can have a big impact on the incidence of SIDS. 
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Parents and foster carers may be surprised to know that the association between co-sleeping and SIDS is greater with factors such as recent parental alcohol consumption, smoking or falling asleep with a baby on a chair/sofa. 

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The Lullaby Trust provides life saving advice to help parents and carers to reduce the risk of SIDS.  You can find a whole host of safer sleep advice including simple steps to take and informative videos, to help you have peace of mind that you are doing the right things to keep your baby safe.

Check out topics such as

• Safer Sleep in Winter
• The safest room temperature for babies
• The best sleeping position for your baby
• Sharing a Room with Your Baby
• Co-sleeping with Your Baby

There is also a great section just for new and expectant dads and partners – Dads Zone.

Also detailed advice on choosing what items your baby might need and the types of products you should avoid – Sleeping Products Guide.

The information that the Lullaby Trust provides is based on strong scientific evidence and they recommend that the guidance is followed for all sleep periods, not just night time sleeping. The issue of co-sleeping is one of the most concerning areas. Despite many new parents/carers saying that they will never sleep with their infant, evidence suggests that up to 70-80% of UK infants at some time have co-slept with a parent during the first three months of life.
Co-sleeping on a sofa or armchair was identified as the most prevalent risk, with 40% of parents admitting to having done so and 25% having done so more than once. An adult falling asleep on a sofa or armchair with a baby increases the risk of SIDS by up to 50
times. Knowing more about these issues, gives parents and carers the opportunity to make changes and reduce the risks for babies in their care.

Follow these links for more information to help you. 
Resources for Parents - Published by BASIS (Baby Sleep Info Source)
NHS Information - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS

New survey of over 3,400 new parents published by the Lullaby Trust shows that 9 in 10 parents co-sleep but less than half know how to reduce the risk of SIDS. 

Find out more via this link 
2023 Co-Sleep Survey - The Lullaby Trust

Source:
www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk