Cot death help for teens

Users on the website, called Bubbalicious, can chat with other youngparents and upload photographs. The site carries a four-level babycarechallenge, and those who successfully complete it are awarded the titleof Top Dad or Big Sister and allowed to give advice to other parents onthe site.

The launch of the site comes as a four-year study by Bristol University,funded by FSID, found that half of all sudden unexplained infant deathsoccur when parents smoke, drink or take drugs and sleep with their babyin their bed or on the sofa.

The researchers warned that parents and carers should never putthemselves in a situation where they might fall asleep with a younginfant on a sofa.

However, the report said, 'A better approach may be to warn parents ofthe specific circumstances that put infants at risk. Based on theresearch, it is questionable whether advice to avoid bed-sharing isgeneralisable and whether such a simplistic approach would do no harm.Parents of young infants need to feed them during the night, sometimesseveral times, and if we demonise the parents' bed we may be in dangerof the sofa being chosen.'

The report, published on the British Medical Journal website, statesthat the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a cot beside theparents' bed.

Author of the study, Edwin Mitchell, professor of Child Health Researchat the University of Auckland, said, 'We have learned that SIDS islargely preventable. It is important to monitor parents' knowledge andinfant care practices to inform health education and promotion.

'Implementing what we already know has the potential to eliminate SIDS.The challenge now is how to change behaviour.'

FSID director Joyce Epstein, said, 'The survey results are alarming. Weknow that those at greatest risk of experiencing a cot death are veryyoung mothers, often single, and still in their teens, and this group isthe most likely to reject safe sleep advice.

'We think that teenage mothers are missing out on safe sleep advice.After consulting with young parents across the country, we developedBubbalicious in the hope that the support available on the site willhelp improve the life chances of the UK's most vulnerable babies'.

Further information: www.bubbalicious.co.uk