Who's in Charge? - A new campaign to keep young babies safe
A new campaign launches today across Frimley Health and Care – covering East Berkshire, Surrey Heath, Farnham and North East Hampshire - aimed at reducing sudden and unexpected deaths in infancy.
“Who’s in Charge?” is a response to the latest figures published by the Government, showing that babies dying suddenly and unexpectedly represent one of the largest groups of cases notified to a national child safeguarding panel.
There were 40 notifications between June 2018 and August 2019 and almost all these tragic incidents involved parents sleeping together with babies, often after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
Debbie Hartrick, Director of Safeguarding at NHS Frimley, said: “Babies are extremely vulnerable and are highly dependent on those around them for their wellbeing and their safety.
“If you have a baby or young child and you are planning to drink alcohol, have a conversation with your partner or other adults present about Who’s in Charge and responsible for your child. Consider this in the same way we are used to agreeing who is driving and will be staying sober; these safety guidelines help ensure everyone has a good time!”
“It’s natural for new parents to be tired but they need to ensure the safety of their baby before they go to sleep themselves. Who’s in Charge is aimed at raising awareness among parents, particularly around the dangers posed by alcohol, which can cause an already-exhausted parent to fall into a deep sleep, dulling their senses and reducing their ability to quickly react should a baby or young child find themselves sleeping in a dangerous position”
The Lullaby Trust, which raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), has reported that the SIDS rate in the South East has increased since 2018 and is now above average for England and Wales. Who’s in Charge hopes to reverse this trend by helping parents and carers understand the potential consequences of the unintentional effects of alcohol.
Lin Ferguson, Director of Children's Services at Achieving for Children (Windsor and Maidenhead) said: “Every healthy baby lost to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) is one of the saddest losses to society of a life never lived.
“To reduce one of the known risks of the impact of alcohol consumption on safe sleeping, it is imperative that parents and carers are made aware of the key message that every baby should be left in the care of a responsible and sober adult at all times.”
To help raise awareness of the potential dangers of drinking alcohol at home or elsewhere, Frimley Health and Care is sharing two short films which show the worrying trend in baby deaths connected with sleeping on a sofa or sleeping with an adult who is under the influence of alcohol.
Hot weather poses additional problems to infants and adults when it comes to sleeping, making it even more important that parents are aware and alert when in charge of a young child. Click here for more information.