Create a safe baby sleep environment
A safe baby sleep environment is crucial to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome, also called cot death or crib death).
Sleeping safely also protectsyour baby from injuries and ensures the best sleep too.Thanks to the clear guidelines gathered below, it is easy to put your baby to bed safely.
As a parent, your baby's safety is a priority for life you took up when you first held your baby. Or probably even when you realised you were pregnant.
In any case it is a great responsibility that we do not take lightly. Fear or panic never help though. The best way to go about your baby's safety is with realistic concern and common sense.
Note: All guidelines on these pages are based on international health and safety regulations from reports by governments, health and sleep research associations.
Crib safety
A safe crib:- is the first step towards SIDS risk reduction
- keeps your baby from falling out of bed and getting injured
- allows for the best sleep for your baby
Reducing the risk of SIDS
SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is the cruelest thing that can happen to a newborn. It is defined as the unexpected and unexplained death of a baby during her first year.Cot death and crib death are two terms referring to the same syndrome.
Thanks to clear and effective guidelines, the number of cot deaths has decreased significantly over the past decades.
What we can do? It is important to know what SIDS is and what the guidelines for preventing SIDS are. These include important notes on smoking and SIDS and info on the best baby sleeping position. This allows to reduce the risk of SIDS as much as possible.
Baby monitors
A baby monitor can be a good help towards safe baby sleep. A monitor allows you to check on your baby without walking into her room. That means, without waking her up unnecessarily from that precious sleep.Whether to use a baby monitor or not, is a very individual choice. Some parents can't imagine doing without, others simply don't see the use.
All depends on how you prefer to check on your baby and on the set-up of your house - who sleeps where and how far from each other ...
It's good to keep in mind that a monitor is just a thing, it is not capable of judging and can fail. So there is one rule of thumb:
No monitor can ever replace a
person
checking on the baby.
checking on the baby.
There are different types of baby monitors:
- Audio baby monitor
The classic
original type of monitor that allows you to hear when baby wakes up and
cries. With some, it is possible to hear your baby breathing, which
is a check we so often want to do.
- Video baby monitor
With a video
monitor you can actually see what your baby is up to. This can be
interesting and allows for a good check without needing to walk into
the room.
- SIDS monitor
A SIDS
monitor, i.e. a movement or breathing monitor, can alarm you when it
does not detect breathing on your baby.
Opinions differ widely on this one as it can have parents worry unnecessarily and is not 100% fail-proof.
It is sometimes advised for higher-risk babies.
Opinions differ widely on this one as it can have parents worry unnecessarily and is not 100% fail-proof.
It is sometimes advised for higher-risk babies.
Creating a safe baby sleep environment for your baby is not difficult. A few simple gestures and habits can make all the difference and ensure safe nights for your baby.
Top of page
