Early last year, Whanganui midwives attracted national and international media exposure with their warning about the dangers of wrapping babies in plastic-based polar fleece blankets that don't breathe.
"We know polar fleece blankets are made from items such as recycled bags and plastic bottles and that this can lead to babies overheating, sweating, then getting too cold because their sweat won't evaporate," Mrs Adam says.
"Because we know that overheating and getting too cold can contribute to Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy [SUDI] in infancy, my midwifery colleagues and I are urging parents not to use them.
"I don't think the general public realise exactly what polar fleece blankets are made of and how they can cause babies to overheat. It's concerning that babies wrapped in polar fleece have no air circulating around their bodies."
While there's no confirmation that polar fleece blankets contribute to SUDI from overheating, Mrs Adam says babies look like "little beetroots" when they're wrapped up in polar fleece.
"It's worrying that a polar fleece blanket can be bunched up, water poured inside it and there's no leakage due to it being non-breathable.
"Raising awareness about how dangerous polar fleece blankets can be is now an integral part of the Whanganui midwives' efforts to encourage safe sleeping."