Cot death rate falls to record low after warm winters and advice on how babies sleep safely
THE number of cot deaths in England and Wales has fallen to the lowest number since records began, figures show.
In 10 years, the number of victims from sudden infant death syndrome (Sids), also known as cot death, has almost halved.
In 2004 there were 207 sudden infant deaths. By 2014, the latest figures available, the number had dipped to 128, according to provisional data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The decline is thought to be the result of warmer winters and a drop in smoking rates among pregnant women.
Rosie Amery, from the ONS’s health analysis and life events team, said:
“Unexplained infant deaths in 2014 were the lowest on record, driven by a decrease in sudden infant deaths.
“A number of factors may have contributed to the fall, including warmer than average temperatures throughout the year, fewer women smoking at the time of delivery, and greater awareness of safer sleeping practices.”
The ONS report on unexplained infant deaths – deaths among children under one year of age – includes both sudden infant deaths and deaths for which the cause remained unascertained after being investigated.
Overall, there were 212 unexplained infant deaths in England and Wales in 2014. Three in five of the deaths were recorded as cot deaths, with the remaining 40 per cent recorded as unascertained. Just over half (55 per cent) of all unexplained infant deaths were boys in 2014.
Francine Bates, chief executive of charity The Lullaby Trust, said: “Whilst it is extremely good news that Sids has gone down in England and Wales, evidence has shown that many more babies’ lives could be saved if all families had access to and followed safer sleep advice.”
Parents have also been warned that specialist pillows costing up to £60, designed to prevent “flat head syndrome”, could put babies at risk of cot death. To reduce cot death the NHS advises babies should sleep flat on their back with no blankets, pillows or toys.