Keep your baby safe

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What else you need to know
Cot death, or sudden infant death, is something that frightens every parent. Although scientists don't know what causes it, they do know that the way you put your baby to sleep can make a big difference.

Temperature is really important. It's our natural instinct to wrap up a baby so that they're really warm, but it's best to make sure that baby is not too hot or too cold. Feel their stomach to see how hot/cold they are - their feet and hands are often a bit colder than the rest of them so they're not a good indication of their temperature.
Put your baby down on their back to sleep not their front or side. This is the safest and most comfortable position for them.
Make sure their feet are at the bottom of the cot so that they can't wriggle too far down and slip under the blankets.
Putting your baby to sleep with a dummy can reduce the risk of cot death, even if it falls out of the baby's mouth while they sleep.
In the first six months the safest place for your baby to sleep is in the cot or crib in the in the same room as you.
Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.
Don't sleep with your baby in the same bed as you. This is especially dangerous if:

- You or your partner smoke, even if you don't smoke in the bedroom.
- You've been drinking alcohol.
- You take medication or drugs that make you drowsy.
- You're very tired.
- Your baby was born before 37 weeks, or weighed less than 2.5kg/5.5lbs at birth.

For more advice visit: Foundation for the Study of Infant Death