Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) is a leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand babies.
Protect your baby by giving them a safe place to sleep. You can do this by following the P.E.P.E guidelines recommended by the Hapai SUDI Prevention Co-ordination Service and endorsed by the Ministry of Health.
PEPE stands for: Place, Eliminate, Position and Encourage
Place: Place baby in their own baby bed in the same room as their parent or caregiver. If you want to be in the same bed as your baby, your baby should still be in their own bed (eg a wahakura or pepi pod). This bed must be firm and strong enough to prevent it collapsing if you or someone else rolls onto it while asleep.
Eliminate: Eliminate smoking in pregnancy and protect baby with a smokefree whanau (family), whare (house) and waka (vehicle)
Position: Position baby flat on their back to sleep, with their face clear of bedding
Encourage: Encourage and support mothers to breastfeed