Baby Health

8/3/2019 Baby Health

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How to keep your baby saf


2/16Any questions? Call FSIDs Freephone Helpli2

Babies who sleep on their backs are sa er and healthier.It is not sa e or babies to sleep on their ronts or sides.Babies settle more easily on their backs i they have been placed to sleep thatway rom the very frst day.

I your baby is less than six months old andyou fnd him asleep on his tummy, gentlyturn him onto his back. Dont eel you needto keep getting up all night to check on this.A ter this age, babies can usually roll ontotheir backs themselves so leave him to fndhis own position. Whatever your babys agealways place them to sleep on the back.Premature babies are slept on the ront inhospital or special medical reasons. I your

baby was born prematurely then make sure you keep her sa e by sleeping heron the back when you take her home rom hospital unless your doctor advises adi erent sleep position.It can be dangerous i your babys head gets covered when she sleeps. Place herwith her eet to the oot o the cot, with the bedclothes frmly tucked in and nohigher than her shoulders, so she cant wriggle down under the covers. Dontworry i she wriggles up andgets uncovered. You canalso use a baby sleeping bag.

Put me to sleep onmy back in the

F eet to F oot posit ion


3/16 on 0808 802 6868 or email [email protected] 3

The sa est place or your baby to sleep or the frst six monthsis in a crib or cot in a room with you .

Its especially dangerous or your baby to sleep in your bedi you (or your partner): are a smoker (even i you never smoke

in bed or at home) have been drinking

alcohol take medication or

drugs that make youdrowsy

eel very tired;or i your baby:

was premature(born be ore 37weeks)

was low birthweight (less than2.5kg or 5 1/2lb).

Dont orget, accidentscan happen: you might roll over in

your sleep and su ocate

your baby your baby could get caught

between the wall and the bed your baby could roll out o your

bed and be injured.

Its very dangerous to sleep togetherwith a baby on a so a, armchair or setteeand it is also risky to sleep a baby alone inan adult bed.

I m saf e st sl e e p in gin m y c ot



Breastfeed your baby and it will help keephim safe.

Its the natural and best way to feed himand it increases his resistance to infection.

Using a dummy every time you settle your baby to sleep day and night canreduce the risk of cot death.

If breastfeeding, do not give a dummy untilbreastfeeding is well-established. Prematureor sick babies in hospital may be given adummy before breastfeeding is started andparents should follow doctors advice.

Dont worry if the dummy falls out whileyour baby is asleep, and dont force her to take a dummyif she doesnt want it. Never coat the dummy in anything

sweet.Gradually wean her off a dummy after six months andbefore one year.



Iw ant the r oomw her e I sleep

to be 16- 20oC

Babies dont need especially warm rooms.

All-night heating is rarely necessary. Babiesshould never sleep next to a radiator or indirect sunlight.

To keep an eye on the temperature buy asimple room thermometer, available for2.75. Please call 020 7802 3200or go to www.fsid.org.uk

to order.

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To check if your baby istoo hot, look for sweating or

feel your baby dont worry if hishands or feet are cool; thats normal. If hes

too hot, remove one or more layers of blankets.Babies who are unwell need fewer not more bedclothes.



If your baby is under a year old: dont use a duvet, quilt or pillow dont use electric blankets or hot water bottles use one or more layers of light blankets or use a baby

sleeping bag.

There has been one study showing an increased risk of cotdeath for swaddled babies. More research is needed but parents

should be cautious. If you decide toswaddle your baby, dont cover her head andonly use thin materials. If you use a sheepskin,take it away as soon as your baby starts tryingto roll on to her tummy.

If you use a baby sleeping bag, it needs to bewithout a hood, very lightweight and the rightsize around the neck so your baby wont slipdown inside the bag. Never use with a duvet.



It is very importantthat your babysmattress is kept cleanand dry. Ideally youshould buy a newmattress or each newbaby. I you are notable to do this, usethe one you have aslong as it was madewith a completelywaterproo cover (egPVC) and has no tears,cracks or holes.Clean it thoroughly

and dry it.

Check that the mattress: is in good condition fts the cot without any gaps is frm, not so t doesnt sag.

Ventilated mattresses (with holes) are not recommended as it is not possible

to keep the inside clean.Never sleep your baby on a pillow,cushion, beanbag, or waterbed. Neversleep together with your baby on a so a.Make sure the cot is in good conditionparticularly i its second hand or old.Check the gaps between the bars are

less than 6.5cm, and the space between the mattressand cot is no more than 3cm. I you use a Mosesbasket, it should have only a thin lining.



Some babies cry more than others. If crying continues, check that it is not due tothe usual things hunger, thirst, wet nappy, being too hot or too cold and then if rocking or cuddling doesnt settle your baby, talk to your health visitor or doctor.Dont be afraid to ask for help from friends, family or your

health visitor if it all gets too much.

Never shake your baby or put anything over his mouth.



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Babies are healthier if they are keptsmoke-free. Cut smoking inpregnancy dad too. The only wayto keep babies smoke free is neverto smoke in the home. Your baby isstill at risk if you open windows,

smoke in a different room, or use afan, vaporiser or ioniser. Ask visitorsto smoke outside. Dont take yourbaby into smokyplaces. If yourfriends or relativesobject, show them

this booklet!

Have your baby immunised and go forcheckups. Babies often have minor

illnesses. If your baby is unwell, make surehe is not too hot and drinks plenty of uids wake him for regular drinks if necessary.

Dont let

people withcolds get toonear your babyand if you areunwell wash your hands before youpick him up. If you are worried,dont hesitate to get in touch withyour health visitor or doctor (seethe back cover for a list of signs of serious illness).



Breastfeed your baby. Its the natural and best way to feed her and increases herresistance to infection.

Wash your hands before feeding your baby and, if you are bottle-feeding yourbaby, make sure the bottle and teats are properly sterilised. Always test theheat of food or drink before giving it to your baby to make sure its not too hot.Dont heat your babys food or milk in a microwave.

When feeding from a spoon, either sityour baby up on your lap or put her in ahighchair with a harness if she is big enough.Place highchairs out of reach of objects onthe table or kitchen counter which shecould pull over and hurt herself with. Makesure your baby cant reach hot drinks or

pan handles that she could pull down. Dont holda baby when youve got a hot drink in your hand.



Smoke alarms save lives.

I a fre breaks out an extra ew seconds can make a realdi erence. Its best to have at least two smoke alarms.

Plan the way you would escape a fre with your baby.

Dont let children play withmatches or lighters.

Contact your local fre brigadeor in ormation on fre prevention.

Keep your baby away rom fresand heaters, hot water pipes andradiators. Use freguards.

Keep the water thermostat on a low setting. Keep the ironout o your babys reach, including when it is cooling down.



Always use a properly fttedbaby car seat that is the rightsize or your baby. Never putyour baby in the ront o a carwith passenger air bags. Donot use a second hand carseat as you cannot be sure itwas not damaged in anaccident with the previousowner. Do not let your babysleep in his car seat in yourhome.

Never leave your baby alonein a car. Make sure yourbaby isnt in direct sunlightand doesnt get too hot.Dont smoke in the car.

Use a harness or your babyin push chairs and babybuggies. Dont put shoppingbags on the handles.

Even a ew centimetres o water are dangerous to babies so make sure yourbaby cant roll or crawl to any ponds, puddles, buckets or garden pots

that fll with rainwater. Constantlysupervise small children near water.

In cold weather remove hatsand extra layers o clothing

rom your baby when youcome in rom outdoors, or go into warmplaces such as a car, bus, train or shop.



I w ant to playon my tummy

Babies should have plenty o opportunity to playon their ront, so their muscles developproperly and to avoid misshapen heads. Keepan eye on them at all times.

Its lovely to have your baby in bed with youor a cuddle or a eed, or to play. But put her

back in her own cot be ore you go to sleep.

Only let your baby play with toysintended or their age. Even a bright baby canget into di fculties with the wrong type o toy.

Make sure that heavy objects are on a solidsur ace and cant be pulled over. Keep small

objects like buttons, peanuts and pills out o your babys reach in case she chokes on them.

Keep your babys seat or bouncer on the oor so yourbaby cant bounce her wayo a high sur ace.

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Its best to changeyour babys nappyon the oor. I youuse a raised sur ace,get everythingready rom the start

and dont leave yourbaby or a moment.



As soon as yourbaby can crawl,use stair gates atthe top andbottom of staircases.

Do not use a babywalker as they leadto accidents.

B a b y w a l k e r s a r e n o t g o o d f o r m e

Make sure your baby cannot reach cordson curtains or window blinds. Dont letyour baby get into contact with any typeof ribbons or string which could stranglehim. Dont tie a dummy around yourbabys neck.

Move furniture such as beds, sofas andchairs away from windows to preventbabies from climbing up and falling out.



Never leave your baby alone in a bath not even or a second. Dont leave anolder child to look a ter her. I the phone rings, ignore it ortake your baby with you to answer it.

I you use a bath seat or support you still need to be with your baby at all times.

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Avoid burns and scalds by: keeping the hot water

thermostat turned down running cold water frst

into the bath using a bath thermometer or testing

the water temperature with your arm.


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How to checkif I am ill

BabyZone is a campaign o the Foundation orthe Study o In ant Deaths, the UKs leadingbaby charity aiming to prevent sudden deathsand promote health.

In this booklet we re er to him and herbut the advice is or all babies.

Illustrations: Julie AndersonDecember 2009

Foundation or the Study o In ant Deaths11 Belgrave RoadLondon SW1V 1RBTel: 020 7802 3200Freephone Helpline: 0808 802 68 68Email: o fce@ sid.org.uk Website: www. sid.org.uk Registered charity no: 262191

Contact your doctor if your baby:

has a high-pitched or weak cry, is less responsive, is much less active ormore oppy than usual

looks very pale all over, grunts with each breath, is working very hard tobreathe when you look at the chest and tummy

takes less than a third o usual uids, passes much less urine than usual,vomits green uid, or passes blood in their poo

has a high ever with sweating.

Dial 999 and ask for an ambulance if your baby:

stops breathing or goes blue is unresponsive and shows no awareness o what is going on has glazed eyes and does not ocus on anything cannot be woken has a ft. Even i your baby recovers on their

own, still contact your doctor.

For more information and advice: call FSIDs Freephone Helpline on

0808 802 68 68 or visit the websiteat www. sid.org.uk talk to your health visitor or doctor call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47

or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk contact your health visitor or local

frst aid and resuscitation training.

Baby Health

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