Safe Sleeping 

Prevention

The major prevention project is called Safe Sleeping (Veilig Slapen): and it is implemented through the distribution of leaflets containing a range of recommendations to reduce the risks of sudden infant death. Today those leaflets are published in Dutch as well as in Turkish/Dutch, Moroccan/Dutch, English, German and French. The English translation is available at the bottom of this page (or click here: Safe Sleeping); a print version can be obtained by sending a stamped envelope, addresses to yourself, to the foundation's secretary: Voorweg 64, 2431 AR Noorden (The Netherlands).
Safe Sleeping contains tips on how to minimize the risks, based on actual and reliable scientific knowledge and its application. Dutch researchers and scientists work in cooperation with colleagues all over the world. The Foundation is a member of SIDS International.
Safe Sleeping is geared to the specific situation in the Netherlands. In 1987 already a back to sleep campaign was launched. In 1995 the international study European Concerted Action on SIDS (ECAS) drew maximum attention to cot death in our country. And in 1996 a National Consensus on Prevention of Cot Death was agreed upon by virtually all professional organizations involved in baby care.

Incidence

 

Related categories:
* acute respiratory tract infections / *pneumonia and influenza
* bronchitis / * cause of death unknown or indefinite
* suffocation by food / *accidental suffocation in cot or bed

• An early and steady concentration on epidemiologically found risk factors and translation of the findings into preventive recommendations. Already in 1987 in the Netherlands prone sleeping was strongly dissuaded. In 1996 the findings of ECAS were immediately added to our 'Reduce the risks publications'.

• The national consensus. For one hundred years the Netherlands have known a nationwide low threshold system of well-baby clinics. For decades over 95 percent of all infants are covered for vaccinations, check ups and advice. This system undoubtedly is the basis of today's national consensus amongst all professionals caring for babies and children, starting with the back to sleep advice in 1987.
• The widely spread dispatch of eight easy to follow guidelines tailored to specific conditions in the Netherlands, including the customs of ethnic minorities. The Netherlands is a small and well-organized country and the Foundation has succeeded in incorporating the proper information into the policies of the national infant welfare system. We have used all kinds of media to disseminate our message.

Prevention works. The Foundation's strategy for further reduction of incidence is aimed at completion and intensifying of the recommendations for prevention.
For the distribution the Foundation seeks cooperation with all kinds of health care workers and their organisations. We utilize those to bring our leaflets and brochures to parents and everybody else caring for a baby. Thanks to the national consensus we can provide baby clinics, maternity nurses, midwives, hospitals, family doctors with our leaflets and brochures and with all the information they need or ask for with relatively little effort and at low cost.

Research

The Stichting Wiegedood furthers it's aims by funding and initiating research. A current project is a field study which keeps our insight up to date ever since 1996. This study is supervised by the initiator of back sleeping promotion, the ever active prof. Guus de Jonge. The meticulous study of remaining cases, is carried out by a volunteer group of paediatricians, epidemiologists and paediatric pathologists supported and financed by the Foundation.

A major study was supervised by boardmembers in close connection with their regular jobs: swaddling in cry babies [babies with excessive crying].
Apart from those studies aimed at new findings, the Foundation follows the implementation of the current guidelines within the population at regular interval.

Future

In the Netherlands we are possibly reaching a minimal 'unavoidable' hard core incidence. These may comprise: secondary prone position (40 percent of recent cases), smoking, extremely adverse social and psychological circumstances, total lack of information, accidental death including infanticide and inability to provide care. Some of those categories will overlap of course. Most are hard to quantify. Most of the parents concerned are difficult to reach.
The Foundation realizes that the hard core will not easily be influenced. Yet efforts should be made in order to reach out to these infants at great risk. The Foundation's group of volunteer experts will work for it!

Appeal for support

To continue our vital work the Foundation relies heavily on donations. If the information above or beneath has appealed to your needs and interests, please show us your support by giving a donation.
Donations of any extent are welcomed at:
ING Bank 5059947 (IBAN: NL69 INGB 0005 0599 47; BIC: INGBNL2A), penningmeester (treasurer) Stichting Wiegedood, P.O. Box 1008, 2430 AA Noorden, the Netherlands.

Safe sleeping for your baby

A baby sleeps a lot. At night as well as during the day; not only at home, but wherever he is: in a car, during a visit away from home, while traveling.
Baby sleep can be safe. This survey explains how.
The recommendations are for everybody who cares for a baby. Parents, grandparents, other family members, babysitters, and professionals caring for a baby.

1 Always place a baby to sleep on its back. Safest is to place a baby on its back during sleep. The side position is not a stable one, only during the first two weeks a baby may be placed on its side. The prone position should be avoided from early on. Never place a baby to sleep on his abdomen. Not a single time. Not even to comfort him. There may be reasons to deviate from these recommendations, but don't do this without consulting your doctor. However, during the day it is good practice to place the waking baby regularly on its tummy, but always under supervision. This position is beneficial for the motor development of the baby. There is no reason to worry about form changes of baby's head. Form change is generally innocuous and temporary and may be prevented as follows: during breast feeding a baby's head is turned alternatively to the left and to the right. Do the same while bottle feeding. In addition you may alternate the position of the baby or turn the bed in relation to the window, a light source or a plaything drawing his attention.

2 Avoid overheating.
The baby must be protected from overheating because of too much bedding. The use of a duvet is strongly discouraged before two years of age. Do not clothe the baby too heavily. Clothe your baby in keeping with the weather, central heating, direct sunlight, a car heater etc. Put less bedding than normal on a baby with fever.

3 Safety measures in cot or bed.
The mattress should be firm. Bedmaterial that is too soft or which may obstruct nose and mouth like pillows, head protectors, duvet or plastic film, may compromise air entry and does not belong in a baby's bed. The bed must be made 'short'; the baby should be put to sleep in the feet to foot position. Use a blanket or better still a well fitted baby sack. If using a padded sack no other bedding is required. A plain cotton sack may require an addition in the form of a thin blanket. A plain cotton sack with a thin blanket is preferable to a padded one, because tucking in is risk decreasing.

4 Keep your baby within reach.
Let your baby if reasonably possible share the bedroom with you, at least during the first six months. Let him sleep not too far removed from you during the daytime, in a quiet sheltered spot. Your natural alertness reduces risk. However, do not take the baby in your bed during sleep. This carries increased risk at least during the first 3 months for non-smoking mothers and 5 months for smokers. When you have taken medication, alcohol or drugs, never take your baby in bed with you.

5 Keep your baby smokefree.
No smoking, during pregnancy and afterwards, is best for mother and child. If you can't stop completely try at least to cut down to no more than 5 cigarettes daily. A smoke free house is best. In any case keep the baby room free of smoke and always try to prevent passive smoke inhalation by the baby, also in other surroundings, such as a car. A room may even after 8 hours still have traces of smoke. Air a baby's room regularly, even when you never smoke.

6 Breast feeding preferable, keep a dummy in reserve.
There are indications that a dummy reduces risk. This is also the case for breast feeding. A dummy is allowed only when breast feeding has been fully established. If in doubt about the breast feeding put off initiation of dummy use. There are no restrictions for dummy use when the baby is on bottle feeding. Terminate dummy use at the age of one year.

7 Do not use sedative medication.
We know of the risk of some medicines for your baby while the risk of others is suspected. Consult your doctor. When breast feeding the same advice goes for the mother who may pass the drug to the baby by way of her milk. Honey may contain a hazardous bacterium, which can be life threatening until the age of one year.

8 Care for the rest and regular routine of your baby.
Babies are very sensitive to a disruption of an established routine. Travel, crowded (family) gatherings, a stay overnight in a strange house (or a camping) and all sorts of unusual events are sure to be picked up by a baby and may easily disturb his well-being. Lack of sleep and, in reaction, an unusually long subsequent sleep period may be the result. Try to avoid such risk increasing situations.

9 Attend the well-baby clinic.
Regular visits to the well-baby clinic are highly recommended. It is fun to see how normal growth and development and health are regularly checked.

Cot death, fortunately, now occurs less and less.
Nobody can completely avoid the risk, but we can by sensible prevention reduce the risk to a large extent.

Cot death still occurs mostly in the first year of life.
It occurs always unexpectedly and almost always during sleep, at night but sometimes also during the day.

Nobody knows precisely why and how cot death occurs.
There are no hereditary or special patterns of illness. Epidemiological research has discovered risk factors, which often in combination with each other, may compromise the well-being of a baby. A number of these risk factors may be prevented.

The risk factors are avoided by following the recommendations above.
Do not hesitate to ask for medical advice. Always ask for advice when you feel that something is wrong with the baby or when you are in doubt or have questions.

For further information you may consult your doctor or the well-baby clinic.