Reducing the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI- cot death)

Nobody is sure why SUDI happen. It can happen to healthy babies, but there are some things that can reduce the risk.

·         Sleep your baby on their back so that they can’t roll on to their face.

·         Have a smoke free pregnancy and a smokefree home and car. Help to stop smoking can be found through Quitline phone 0800 778 778, or through your midwife or GP.

·         Breastfeeding can help reduce the risk of SUDI

·         Sleep in the same room as your baby for the first 6 months with baby in their own cot or bassinet

Co-sleeping (a parent who sleeps with their baby in bed) is dangerous when:

·         the baby’s mother has smoked during pregnancy

·         the adult in bed with the baby has been drinking, or taking drugs or medicines that might reduce their awareness of the baby

·         the adult sleeping with the baby is excessively tired.

There is also a small increase in the risk of SUDI from co-sleeping for babies less than three months old, whether or not the mother smoked during pregnancy.

Further information can be found at:

• Change for our children: Safe sleep.
• Whakawhetu- Maori SIDS prevention
• Child and Youth Mortality Committee NZ: SIDS resources