MP Helen Jones has joined baby charity The Lullaby Trust in urging local authorities to ensure health professionals receive the training and support they need to deliver safer sleep messages to all families.
The call comes as part of Safer Sleep Week, the charity’s national campaign to raise awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – often referred to as cot death – and the lifesaving advice that parents can follow to reduce the risk of it occurring.
Safer Sleep Week is highlighting The Lullaby Trust’s ‘ABCs of safer sleep’: ALWAYS sleep your baby on their BACK in a CLEAR cot or sleep space (free of bumpers, toys and pillows).
The Warrington North MP said: “We don’t know why Sudden Infant Death Syndrome occurs but we do know that if all parents and carers followed safer sleep advice many babies’ lives would be saved. A survey by The Lullaby Trust has found that 37% of parents in the North West are unsure of one of the most fundamental steps to reduce the risk of SIDS, namely sleeping a baby on its back for every sleep.
“Evidence shows that babies who are slept on their back for every sleep are six times less likely to die from SIDS than those who sleep on their front or side.
“Campaigning by The Lullaby Trust and others over the years has seen an increase in awareness about how parents sleep their babies. SIDS rates have declined but could still be much lower if all parents followed safer sleep advice.
“The survey results are a troubling indication that many parents are still not equipped with the information they need to keep their baby as safe as possible. Health professionals and family workers have an important role in providing advice to new parents on how to sleep their baby safely and we need to ensure they receive the training and support to continue this vital work.”
Francine Bates, chief executive of The Lullaby Trust said: “The results of this survey suggest that although we’ve come a long way in reducing SIDS rates, more needs to be done to ensure that all parents and carers know the basics of safer sleep. The Lullaby Trust provides training for around 3,500 health care professionals each year and calls on local authorities to ensure that safer sleep messages consistently reach all families, helping to prevent avoidable deaths now and in the future.”
MP joins charity in cot death campaign
22 Comments
2 Comments
Hats off to Helen. It’s an important area of advice for parents. Pleasing that she has given a name check to the organisation themselves and a named individual, and not just talked up herself. Maybe she is listening to criticism of her performances. And boy oh boy is her team churning out story after story at the moment. I think we are up to three a week these days!
And by the way, has Helen arranged that meeting with the hospital chief yet about the potential hospital move? On the 20th Feb Helen claimed that “I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive of Warrington and Halton NHS Hospital Trust to discuss these plans.” But since then there has been only silence. What is the hold up? Can Helen or her team provide an explanation? Was it just yet more bluster? Did she ever have any intention of meeting the hospital chief or was it a case of words and not actions by Helen? Again. It would appear that Helen is simply taking us all for simple minded fools yet again.