Safe Infant Sleeping

Over the past 25 years we have seen a dramatic decline of deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Providing a safe sleeping environment for infants can prevent death. There are positive steps that can be taken to make sleeping environments safer for infants.

1. Sleep baby on their back from birth – never on the tummy or side

2. Sleep baby with their head and face uncovered

When using bedding, put baby's feet at the end of the cot then only bring bedding up to the chest.
When using a sleeping bag, make sure it is the right size for your baby and the right thermal rating (TOG) for the season.

3. Avoid exposing baby to tobacco smoke before and after birth

4. Sleep baby in their own cot or bassinette in the same room as you for the first 6 – 12 months.

5. Provide a safe sleeping environment for baby night and day. A firm mattress and no soft items in the cot.

For more information on checking the firmness of your mattress, please click here.
Don’t let babies sleep on couches, bean bags, pillows or even baby capsules placed on the floor.
Keep the cot or bassinette away from curtain/blind cords – young children have been strangled by dangling curtain and blind cords.

6. Breastfeed your baby if you can

A safe way to sleep baby.

Benefits of using a sleeping bag:

Eliminates bedding (sheets, blankets) that can cover baby’s face and cause suffocation.
Stops children from getting cold because they are unable to kick their blankets off.
Baby is kept at a comfortable temperature as many bags (including the Grobag) have a thermal rating (TOG) to help guide you to dress your baby in the right clothing for the room temperature.
Those with a sleeveless design ensure your baby wont overheat as heat can be released from their underarms.
The fitted neck and armholes mean there is no chance of baby slipping in or out.
Easy to use for parents, carers and grandparents

To purchase a Grobag, click here or call us on 8161 6318.

For a long time now it has been widely accepted that it is important for an infant to sleep on a firm mattress. But, how firm is firm enough?

In 2013 a voluntary standard (AS/NZS 8811.1:2013) was introduced for the testing of mattress firmness. Any mattress that fails the test is considered ‘too soft’ and can present as a risk factor for SIDS¹. As the standard is voluntary, manufacturers are not required to meet this standard which means a mattress can be purchased which is too soft.

It is important that the mattress is firm when a baby can roll onto their front as they can be at risk of suffocating with a mattress that is too soft.

How can you ensure your mattress is safe?

Firstly, make sure your mattress fits inside the cot snugly with no gaps of more than 20mm around the edge between the mattress and the cot. It is also important to not place any

For a long time now it has been widely accepted that it is important for an infant to sleep on a firm mattress. But, how firm is firm enough?

It is important that the mattress is firm when a baby can roll onto their front as they can be at risk of suffocating with a mattress that is too soft.

How can you ensure your mattress is safe?

Firstly, make sure your mattress fits inside the cot snugly with no gaps of more than 20mm around the edge between the mattress and the cot. It is also important to not place any extra bedding (e.g. lamb’s wool, cushioning) on top of the mattress as this is likely to make the surface uneven as well as too soft.

To test the firmness there is an at home test that can be done using household items. Please watch the video below for instructions and be sure to test the mattress in many different spots.

Schlaud, M., Dreier, M., Debertin, A., Jachau, K., Heide, S., Giebe, B., Sperhake, J., Poets, C. and Kleemann, W. (2009). The German case–control scene investigation study on SIDS: epidemiological approach and main results. Int J Legal Med, 124(1), pp.19-26.

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