Looking after your baby 

Try to remember that cot death is rare and that if you follow advice such as sleeping your baby on the back, you will be reducing their risk of cot death considerably.

Since the introduction of our 'reduce the risk of cot death' campaign in 1991 the number of babies dying has fallen by 75%. Advances in research mean we are regularly discovering new positive steps parents can take.  Follow the steps below to give your baby the chance of a lifetime.

Advice for parents to reduce the risk of cot death:

• Cut smoking in pregnancy – fathers too! And don’t let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby.
• Place your baby on the back to sleep (and not on the front or side).
• Do not let your baby get too hot, and keep your baby’s head uncovered. 
• Place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot, to prevent them wriggling down under the covers. 
• Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. 
• The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months. 
• It’s especially dangerous for your baby to sleep in your bed
  if you (or your partner):
  • are a smoker, even if you never smoke in bed or at home
  • have been drinking alcohol
  • take medication or drugs that make you drowsy
  • feel very tired;
  or if your baby:
  • was born before 37 weeks
  • weighed less than 2.5kg or 5½ lbs at birth
  • is less than three months old.
• Don’t forget, accidents can happen: you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby; or your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed, or could roll out of an adult bed and be injured. 
• Settling your baby to sleep (day and night) with a dummy can reduce the risk of cot death, even if the dummy falls out while your baby is asleep. 
• Breastfeed your baby. Establish breastfeeding before starting to use a dummy.
  

Much of this advice is contained in the booklet Reduce the Risk of Cot Death: An Easy Guide.  Our award-wining BabyZone booklet covers all this advice as well as advising you on how to protect your baby from infections and accidents. Follow the links on the left to view the leaflets and go to our publications list to order your free copy.

If you have any questions about looking after your baby safely please call our Helpline on 020 7233 2090 or email helpline@fsid.org.uk