PARENTS have been warned about a potentially fatal mistake they could be making when putting their kids down to sleep.
The team at CPR Kids say if your baby is wearing a hoodie, bonnet or beanie when you put them down for a nap then it could have deadly side effects.
GettyCPR Kids say newborns shouldn’t be wearing a hoodie, bonnet or beanie when they are put down for a sleep[/caption]
They said: “Keeping your baby’s head and face uncovered during sleep reduces the risk of sudden and unexpected death, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).”
SIDS, which is also known as ‘cot death’, is when a healthy baby dies for an unexplained reason.
According to the NHS, the condition affects around 200 babies in the UK every year.
The greatest risk comes in the first six months of a baby’s life and usually when they are asleep.
To help reduce the risk of SIDS you should avoid smoking while pregnant and you should not smoke or allow people to smoke near your child.
As well, parents are advised to always place their kids on their backs when they go to sleep.
Allowing a baby to sleep on their stomach can block their airway or cause airbreathing, meaning they are re-breathing their own exhaled air.
If parents co-sleep, they should keep pillows and adult bedding away from the baby as well as any items that could cover their head or cause them to overheat, according to The Lullaby Trust.
Children’s feet should touch the end of their cot, basket or pram and their heads should be uncovered and any blanket covering them should be no higher than their shoulders, the NHS advises.
To also help reduce the risk of SIDS, parents are advised to sleep in their same room as their newborns for the first six months of their lives.
Parents though should not sleep with their baby on a sofa or armchair and ensure their child does not get too hot or cold.
GettyIf a baby does have a blanket covering them it should be no higher than their shoulders, according to the NHS[/caption] Read More