Northamptonshire: Council could spend £15k on baby safe sleeping campaign

A council could spend up to £15,000 on a campaign to promote safer sleeping with babies.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) is advertising for a contractor to run a "safer sleeping social marketing campaign" from June until September.

The authority said the campaign must be "succinct, accessible and friendly."

In March a report found agencies failed to spot the risks to a baby who was smothered by their mother in bed after she had drunk heavily and taken drugs.

In a document for its campaign, NNC said that in 2019 about 200 babies and young children died of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), and/or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said that while the NHS claimed the figure "may sound alarming", it is "rare" and the risk of any baby dying from it is low.

But it said there is an association between sleeping with babies on a sofa or chair - and SIDS.

In its advice to help prevent SIDS, the NHS says parents are told to always place their baby on their back to sleep and to keep their head uncovered.

Parents should also allow the baby to sleep in the same room as them for the first six months and make sure there are no pillows or duvets near the baby if they share a bed with them.

The council's public health team said: "New parents today may not be aware of SIDS as the rates have decreased since the 80s and 90s, therefore it is important to explain what SIDS is and why safe sleep is important."

It said parents should have the "information required to make informed decisions about what they feel is best for their child".

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