All new mothers in the UK should be given Finnish-style baby boxes for their newborns to sleep in: Royal College of Midwives argues move could reduce cot deaths
- Cardboard boxes are provided to all new babies in Scotland and Finland
- Soft surfaces, such as mattresses and sofas, raise the risk of cot death
- Deprived areas would benefit most due to such babies often not having cots
- Schemes are being piloted in certain NHS England Trusts but not in Wales
- Cot death kills around 300 babies in the UK and 3,500 every year in the US
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All new mothers in the UK should be given Finnish-style baby boxes for their newborns to sleep in, according to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
The cardboard boxes can be used as beds, and are provided for all new babies in Scotland, as well being handed out in Finland for the past 75 years.
The RCM argues giving out Finnish baby boxes would particularly reduce cot death, also known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), in deprived areas where it tends to be higher.
This is due to such babies often not having a cot and therefore nodding off on sofas or in their parents’ bed, which raises their risk of suffocation.
Finnish-style boxes, which come containing clothes, books and blankets, are being piloted in certain NHS England Trusts but not in Wales or Northern Ireland.
Cot death kills around 300 babies in the UK and 3,500 in the US every year.
All new mothers in the UK should be given Finnish-style baby boxes for their newborns to sleep in, according to the Royal College of Midwives. This could reduce the risk of cot death (stock)
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WHAT IS COT DEATH AND HOW CAN IT BE PREVENTED?
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or cot death, is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby.
SIDS kills around 3,500 babies in the US and just under 300 in the UK every year.
It usually occurs within the first six months of an infant’s life and is more common in those born prematurely or of a low birth weight.
The cause of SIDS is unknown, however, it is associated with tobacco smoke, tangled bedding, co-sleeping with parents and breathing obstructions.
Prevent the risk by:
- Placing sleeping babies on their backs
- Keeping babies’ heads uncovered
- Sleeping in the same room as babies for the first six months of their lives
- Using a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in babies’ cribs
- Breastfeeding, if possible
Do not:
- Smoke during pregnancy or in the same room as a baby
- Sleep on a bed or chair with an infant
- Allow babies to get too hot or cold. Temperatures between 16 and 20C should be comfortable
Source: NHS Choices
Baby boxes give infants ‘a more equal start to life’
According to RCM’s chief executive Gill Walton, giving such boxes to all new mothers in the UK would provide ‘a more equal start to life for the baby’.
She added: ‘Most importantly, by enabling parents to give their babies a safe sleeping space, baby boxes may reduce unsafe co-sleeping or babies sleeping in an inappropriate place such as a sofa.’
The RCM adds baby boxes must be of a high quality and meet the minimum UK safety standards.
Circumcising newborn boys increases their risk of cot death
This comes after research released last month suggested circumcising newborn boys increases their risk of cot death.
Male babies who have their foreskins removed are likely to suffer from SIDS due to the stress of the procedure, a study by the University of Sheffield found.
Such stress may include bleeding and pain or could be related to the procedure separating the infant from its mother and restraining it to a board.
Researchers believe this may explain why cot death is more common in baby boys than girls.
They wrote: ‘[Male circumcision], the most common unnecessary surgery in the world, is a major risk-factor for SIDS.’
Results further suggest SIDS rates are significantly lower in US states where Hispanic people make up more than eight per cent of the population. Spanish-speaking countries do not generally circumcise their boys.
In the 22 US states analysed where the health insurance Medicaid covers male circumcision, cot death is significantly higher.
Findings also imply babies born between 24 and 27 weeks, rather than full term at 40 weeks, are three times more likely to die from SIDS.
This may be due to the stress of being hospitalised in intensive care units, or their increased risk of bleeding or complications.
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