Safer Sleep Week - “Promote confidence rather than fear.”
“Promote confidence rather than fear.” That’s how Wirral’s 0-19+ team wants the safe sleep message to support new parents and carers.
Safer Sleep Week is a national awareness campaign, aimed at anyone looking after a young baby. The campaign, from national safe sleep charity The Lullaby Trust, aims to raise awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and the simple advice that reduces the risk of it occurring.
There are tonnes of FREE activities and drop-in advice sessions available for Wirral families during Safer Sleep Week, and year-round, at Wirral’s Family Hubs. For more information, visit Wirral's Family Hubs.
Jen Owens and Jo Woods are from the 0-19+ Service, delivered by Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC). They live and work in Wirral, offering local parents and carers advice and support for children and families. The 0-19+ team includes health visitors, public health nurses, school nurses and community health promotion advisors
They spoke to us about why safe sleep guidelines are so important and how parents can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
Team Leader Jen said that Safer Sleep Week is all about building a culture of safe sleep in the local area.
She said:
Safe sleep and SIDS are really important topics to raise and discuss with new parents who are finding their feet and doing their best to navigate their way through the newborn and young infant phase.
Jo, a Health Visitor in Wallasey, works with new parents every day, fielding their questions and offering support and guidance. She told us about her top tips for safer sleep.
She said:
First things first, sleeping position: always put your baby on their back for every sleep, day and night, as the chance of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are sometimes placed on their front or side. The safest place for a baby is in the same room as you, at least for the first six months, but in their own separate sleep space, such as a cot or Moses basket, with a firm, flat mattress.
“Next, it’s important to make sure that your baby’s room is a comfortable temperature, between 16 - 20°C as the chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot. And baby’s sleep space should be clear of loose bedding, toys, quilts, pillows and cot bumpers.
Co sleeping and falling asleep whilst sitting or lying on a sofa with baby, has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS, and we know that managing babies through the night can be problematic, so we aim to support new parents to be able to prioritise their baby’s safety by giving the appropriate safe sleep advice for them
Whatever a baby’s sleep space looks like, Jen wants parents to feel they can approach the 0-19+ team for advice and support.
Jen said:
We always approach conversations sensitively and compassionately. Sometimes if a family has decided to co sleep, they won’t tell you as they feel they will be judged. We like to keep these conversations open so that we can give the best advice for the situation.
I like to ask open questions such as ‘what does night-time look like for you and your baby?’ This usually results in a full discussion around night-time activity and provides the opportunity for practical advice and evidence-based recommendations for safe sleep practice.
If parents are choosing to co sleep, while we don’t advise it, we can provide and signpost people to the information they need to make an informed decision and ensure safer sleep practice.
Parents can access up to date and evidence-based information via The Lullaby Trust website - which includes the benefits of breastfeeding, having a smoke-free environment and the appropriate use of dummies to reduce the risk of SIDS.
There is a lot of support and information about safe sleep for every parent to access in their personal child health record (red book).
Jen said:
This isn’t about scaremongering. Thankfully, SIDS is very rare. But we want to reduce that risk even further by making sure parents have the skills and the knowledge to put all these safety factors in place.
The positioning of the cot, being close by, practicing responsive parenting. Over time, these things become second nature, especially if parents feel supported. And while the topic of SIDS is difficult, we want people to see the advice as constructive. It’s about gaining confidence rather than fear.
For more information on Safer Sleep Week, advice, tips and guidance visit Safer Sleep Week 2025 | The Lullaby Trust, contact your midwife or health visitor or call the 0-19+ team on 0151 514 0219.
