Messages to help baby sleep safely

Saving a baby from death could be as easy as receiving a text message, according to a new programme being piloted in Hawke's Bay.

The Back Your Baby campaign was launched by the Hawke's Bay District Health Board this week as the third stage of a safe-sleeping initiative to tackle the region's high Sudden Unexplained Deaths in Infants (Sudi) statistics.

Between 2009 and 2010, nine Hawke's Bay babies died in poor sleeping circumstances, a number significantly higher than in other regions in New Zealand, said Hawke's Bay District Health Board safe-sleep adviser and GP at Te Taiwhenua O Heretaunga, David Tipene-Leach.

Dr Tipene-Leach said babies most at risk were from homes where bed sharing was common or when a mother had smoked during pregnancy.

"That's where Back Your Baby comes in, it's about providing safe sleeping environments," he said.

"A safe sleeping environment decreases those risks associated with accidental suffocation and Sids [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome]."

Hawke's Bay District Health Board population health adviser Julia Haydon-Carr said the initiative would send free, personalised messages reminding parents of safe-sleeping practices for nine weeks.

The texts would be sent to new parents who registered, keeping them up to date with the latest tips and advice about safe ways for their babies to sleep. The six-month pilot may be extended to other regions if successful.

The group of local medical professionals set up to address the rise of Sudi deaths in 2010 had previously updated training procedures.

"We educated health professionals to make sure they were having the right conversations with parents, and that nurses were communicating the sleep safe message better with parents," Ms Haydon-Carr said.

The group also had introduced pepi-pods.

"Pepi-pods were small plastic bassinets that parents could use to take their child safely into bed with them, so Back Your Baby is the third string in our bow."

Although targeting at-risk groups, the Back Your Baby initiative is open for any new parents who wish to take part.

Back Your Baby

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  Free text "BYB" to 4040, or fill in a form at Hawke's Bay Hospital.
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  Messages are personalised for each family and will arrive for nine weeks.
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  Safety messages will contain the latest advice and reminders for parents.
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  If the six-month pilot programme proves successful in Hawke's Bay, it may go nationwide.