Safe Sleep Checker UK

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexpected death of an apparently healthy baby under 1 year old where no cause is found after investigation. In the UK, around 200 babies die from SIDS each year. While rare, it is the leading cause of death in babies between 1 month and 1 year. Risk is highest between 2 and 4 months. The majority of risk factors are modifiable — which is why safe sleep guidance is so important.

Bed-sharing carries higher risk than room-sharing in a separate sleep space. However, for families who choose to bed-share, the Lullaby Trust and BASIS provide guidance on reducing the associated risk. Key conditions for safer bed-sharing include: neither parent smokes; neither parent has consumed alcohol or sedating medication; the baby is not premature or low birth weight; the mattress is firm; there are no soft pillows, duvets or gaps the baby could roll into. Bed-sharing on a sofa or armchair is always unsafe — it carries the highest SIDS risk of any sleep surface.

Always place your baby on their back to start — back placement is what matters, not where they end up. If your baby can roll from back to front and back again independently, it is safe to let them find their own position during sleep. If they roll to their front before being able to roll back, gently reposition them. Never use positioners or rolled blankets to keep them in position — these are suffocation hazards. Tummy time when awake and supervised is important for development and does not create a habit of front sleeping.

The NHS recommends waiting until at least 12 months before introducing a pillow, and until age 2 before using a duvet in the cot. Before these ages, babies do not need pillows or duvets and they present suffocation risks. A baby sleeping bag of the appropriate tog rating for the room temperature is the recommended alternative to loose bedding from birth.

Yes — research consistently shows that breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS, with some studies suggesting the risk reduction may be around 50%. The protective effect is present even with partial breastfeeding. The mechanism is not fully understood but may relate to immune factors in breast milk and differences in arousal patterns in breastfed babies. Breastfeeding is one of several protective factors — it does not replace other safe sleep practices.