According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, while the overall SIDS rates for England and Wales showed a 17% decline since 2013 and a 39% overall decline since 2004, the rates in the East of England have decreased more slowly showing only a 3% reduction since 2004 and remaining higher than the national average.
Adding to this worrying picture is a national survey commissioned by the Lullaby Trust which found that over 38% of parents in the East of England are unsure of one of the most fundamental steps to reduce the risk of SIDS: sleeping a baby on its back for every sleep.
Evidence shows that babies who slept on their back for every sleep are 6 times less likely to die from SIDS than those who sleep on their front or side.
The survey shows 35% of parents in the East of England are unsure whether they can sleep a baby on their front and 39% are unsure whether to sleep a baby on their side. The results are a troubling indication that parents are still not equipped with the information they need to reduce the risk of SIDS and that more needs to be done to ensure all parents in the East of England are aware of life-saving safer sleep advice.
Find out more about Safer Sleep Week here.
