How can I reduce my baby’s risk of SIDS?

There are many important measures that you can make to heavily reduce the risk of SIDS, or a fatal sleeping accident. By applying these measures, you’re ensuring a safe sleep environment for your baby.

  • Always lay your baby to sleep on their BACK. Once your baby can independently roll to their tummy and back to their back, you are safe to allow them to find their own position in sleep.
  • Don’t smoke during pregnancy or allow anyone to smoke around your baby.
  • Sleeping your baby in a mandatory standard cot (AS/NZS 2172) is highly recommended. It is ideal for your baby to sleep in the parents room for the first 12 months, in their own independent sleep space (cot).
  • Check that the mattress is firm and fits snugly into the cot, to avoid an entrapment risk between the edge of the cot and the mattress.
  • Eliminate all suffocation/choking hazards in the sleep environment. No cot bumpers, hats/bonnets, pillows, soft toys, loose blankets, sleep positional devices.
  • Don’t let your baby overheat.
  • Lay your baby with their feet at the foot of the cot.
  • Never sleep on the sofa or in a chair with your baby.
  • Breastfeed your baby for as long as possible.

See our alarm based baby monitors in our shop

All profits support our mission of Stamping Out SIDS. Your support is invaluable in helping us eradicate this terrifying syndrome.

There is currently no peer-reviewed scientific evidence to validate that an alarm-based infant monitor will help save the life of an infant, where the absence of such a monitor would otherwise have resulted in an infant death.

Notwithstanding this, River’s Gift encourage the use of alarm-based monitors during all infant sleep periods, to be used strictly in conjunction with all evidence-based Safe Sleep Practices and Principles.

Additionally, we encourage regular in-person cot-side monitoring and interaction, to complement the use of an alarm-based infant monitor.

B-A-C-K Safe Sleep Model
Download Safe Sleep Brochure

Your baby will spend a lot of their time sleeping. Knowing how and why to sleep your baby safely is so important.

River’s Gift encourage and promote the BACK safe sleep model, as outlined below…

Sleep your baby on their BACK

Place your baby on their BACK for every sleep from birth, on a firm, flat and well fitted mattress. Sleeping your baby on their side or tummy greatly increases the risk of SIDS or sleeping accidents. A chin to chest position should always be avoided, as it can bend and
constrict your baby’s airway and make it hard for them to breathe.

AIRWAYS are always clear

Ensure your baby’s AIRWAYS are always clear. No padded bedding, loose blankets, loose sheets, sheepskin underlay or doonas, accessories such as pillows, bumpers, sleep nests or positioners, beanies, hooded clothing or soft toys. ALWAYS sleep your baby with their head and face uncovered.

Sleep your baby in a safety standard COT

Sleep your baby in a cot that complies with the mandatory safety standard based on the Australian Standard for household cots AS/NZS 2172. Research evidence concludes that it is safest to position the baby’s cot in the parent’s room for the first 6 to 12 months. Sofas, armchairs, beanbags, sleep nests or positioners, slings and cushions are not safe places for your baby to sleep. Car capsules should only be used when travelling in a car, not as a sleeping place.

KEEP your baby smoke free

KEEP your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth.