Most babies do not suffer from Sudden Unexpected Death (SUDI). However, the evidence is clear that some babies are at higher risk of dying unexpectedly in infancy. These include babies from multiple births, born prematurely or small for gestational age; babies whose parents smoked during pregnancy and/or after the birth and babies born into households living with vulnerabilities, including deprivation, substance misuse, and babies sleeping in an unsafe sleep environment.

Practitioners working with families caring for babies should recognise a continuum of risk of sudden infant death. Parents and carers should be supported to have open, honest and sensitive discussions about sleep arrangements and sleep practices for their infant. They should be offered safer sleep advice that is personalised to the individual circumstances of each family.

That advice should address both the environmental and psychological barriers to following advice. Safer sleep advice is not consistently understood or followed by parents – this guidance includes evidence-based information on how to reduce risk of sudden infant death.

Infants are unable to control their sleeping environment. Providing a safe sleeping environment is the best way to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI).

All carers need clear, tailored advice about how to reduce the risk of SUDI for their baby.

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