Baby Sleep Safety Tips

When putting baby down to sleep, be it for her afternoon nap, or be it at night time, there are certain rules of thumb that we should follow, and that you will find in baby care books or be advised about by your paediatrician at your local baby care center.

When baby is new born, she is entirely helpless and dependent on her mother to tend to her every need. She cannot tell us when she is tired, or cold, and is not even able to shiver by herself. The sweat glands of a new born are only 35% developed, the main areas from which a new born sweats being her head hands and feet. So baby may sweat from her head extensively to let us know that she is hot, but asides this she is helpless to regulate her body temperature.

When putting new baby to sleep, we must therefore follow carefully the safety tips we are given by our baby care book or health visitor, to reduce the possibility of Sudden Infant Death syndrome, or suffocation due to overheating.

First we must check that baby’s mattress confirms to safety standards, all mattresses carrying the symbol to say they have been safety tested and are correctly designed for new borns and infants

If you are unsure about the mattress you have, buying one that you know has passed the safety standards to replace an old one will always be money well spent, and will set your mind more at rest during the first few months of your baby’s life.

For the new born, never use a pillow or cushion under his head. This is simply as the new  baby does not have the strength to lift his own head, the muscles in his neck not being fully developed in order to support the weight. If baby therefore has a pillow and becomes too hot, or vomits some of her feed, she will not be able to lift her head to clear her mouth and airways and may suffocate.

Having the room where baby sleeps at an optimum temperature of twenty one or twenty two degrees is also of vital importance. Over heating of the baby has also been linked with Sudden infant death Syndrome.

So make sure that baby is put to sleep in a draft free environment, where  the temperature will remain constant. Make up the sheets of her crib from the bottom upwards, so there is no danger she may be able to wriggle under the covers and over heat or suffocate. Never use a pillow, if you wish to protect the sheet of the crib, place the cover from a pillow over where baby’s head will lie, as this can be changed and washed regularly.

Try not to preoccupy yourself too much, although it it only the natural instinct of the mother to be preoccupied. If you follow the safety instructions that you are given by your baby care center or paediatrician, then baby will sleep safe and sound.