Sleep Messages Save Lives

MEDIA RELEASE

6th December 2013  

Sleep Messages Save Lives 

The first National Safe Sleep Day on December 6 is an event that South Auckland communities are taking to heart with a ‘wear your PJs to work’ day held today at Raukura Hauora o Tainui and a safe sleep promotion at Trust Health.

Unintentional suffocation in the place where baby sleeps is the most common cause of death for infants under the age of 12 months. The National Safe Sleep Day aims to turn this around.

Too many babies are dying while they sleep and many of these deaths could have been prevented. Every year 60 Kiwi families lose their babies in this way.  

Many babies will be saved when all families follow the simple P.E.P.E message:

• PLACE baby in his or her own baby bed, face clear of bedding, in the same room as a caregiver  • ELIMINATE smoking in pregnancy, and protect baby with a smoke free whanau, whare and waka  • POSITION baby flat on his or her back to sleep, face up towards the heavens  • ENCOURAGE and support mum, so baby is breastfed

Safe Sleep Day is all about encouraging local community groups to bring the safe sleep messages to their families in fun and entertaining ways. Workers at Raukura Hauora o Tainui are wearing their pyjamas to work in a show of support for safe sleep messages and to promote these messages within the local commmunity.

“Safe sleep is a simple message and a positive one” says Rachael Puru, from Raukura Hauora o Tainui. If we can get families to have some fun and learn how to protect their babies, then everyone wins.” Activities include safe sleep colouring competitions and a display of wahakura (Maori safe sleep baby bed).

Further details are on the Safe Sleep Day website- www.safesleepday.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media