Waikato DHB to Celebrate First Nation-Wide Safe Sleep Day

Wednesday, 4 December 2013, 3:59 pm
Press Release: Waikato DHB

Media Release

Date: Wednesday 4 December 2013

Waikato DHB to Celebrate First Nation-Wide Safe Sleep Day

Waikato DHB will lead the Waikato region in celebrating New Zealand’s first Safe Sleep Day with a safe sleep promotion in Hamilton City’s Garden Place this Friday (6 December).

The national campaign promotes safe sleep practice for infants. Organisations and community groups across the country have registered campaign activities to mark the day.

Waikato DHB will celebrate with the release of balloons in Hamilton City’s Garden Place at 1pm on Friday to commemorate babies who have passed from Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI).

A Wahakura and Pepi Pod (safe sleep devices) display, a wahakura weaving demonstration, and a static display of safe sleep resources will also be present in Garden Place.

Waikato DHB general manager for Māori Health Ditre Tamatea encourages the community to come along to Hamilton City’s Garden Place, and other locations around the region, to find out about safe sleep practises.

“Sixty babies in New Zealand die from SUDI every year; 80 per cent of which are Maori babies. Learning about and implementing safe sleep practices will dramatically reduce the number of SUDI cases in New Zealand,” he said.

Mr Tamatea said significant preparation has occurred at a regional and a local level in the lead-up to Safe Sleep Day.

“At a regional level the Midland general managers of Maori Health and the Midland Maternity Action Group recently developed a regional model around safe sleep, including a regional safe sleep policy.

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“At a local level Waikato DHB has led the single largest investment in Pepi Pods of any DHB in the country, having distributed approximately 2000 Pepi Pods of which over 700 were distributed to high-needs families.”

Waikato District Health Board's Maori Health Unit Te Puna Oranga has led a number of SUDI prevention activities both locally and regionally and is now recognised as one of the leading providers of safe sleep initiatives in the country.

Mr Tamatea acknowledged the work done by safe sleep project manager Jade Chase and Te Puna Oranga Pepi Pod co-ordinator Alys Brown who worked with others to make a practical difference to reducing SUDI rates in the Waikato.

The unit’s safe sleeping messages are part of a wider initiative called Project Aroha which focuses on creating resilience amongst young whanau across a number of health priority areas.

Key messages around safe sleep are:
o Keep whanau smoke free
o Keep whanau alcohol and drug free
o Sleep children on their back; face up and face clear
o Utilise Pepi Pods or Wahakura when babies are sleeping
Other Safe Sleep Day activities across the Waikato include:
o Fairfield Christmas in the Park
o Huntly Birthcare display board and pepi-pods
o Rhoda Read Birthing Unit display
o Thames Birthing Unit display
o Taumarunui Maternity Unit display
o Tokoroa Maternity Unit display
o Matariki Te Awamutu Birthing Unit display
o Waikato DHB Upper Deck Cafeteria display
o Waikato DHB Delivery Suite display
o Waikato DHB Women’s Outpatients display
o Waikato DHB Ward 52 Antenatal display
o Waikato DHB Ward 52 Postnatal display
o Warehouse Te Kuiti/Otorohanga safe sleep table
o Waikato Wahakura/Waikawa Project – Safe Sleep Awareness Day
o Plunket Safe Sleep Day PJ Party
o Hauraki Safe Sleep Promotion – Te Korowai o Hauraki
o Little Connections Christmas Party
ENDS

Waikato District Health Board

Healthy People. Excellent Care

Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.