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8 May 2001
REDUCING THE RISK OF COT DEATH FOR PREMATURE BABIES
The best way to position premature babies in their cots is to be
investigated in an important new study.
Details of the project were revealed at the start of Cot Death Awareness Week by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID). The research will be carried out at London's Kings College Hospital and led by Professor Anne Greenough.
Current recommendations say that babies who sleep on their backs have less risk of cot death, yet paradoxically premature babies are better off sleeping on their front. The new study will examine the levels of oxygen required by babies, as Professor Greenough believes the need for less oxygen could be a crucial clue as to when to change sleeping positions.
100 babies will take part in the study, half who need extra oxygen and half who don't, and they'll be studied two weeks before they're due to leave hospital. Additional tests will monitor their muscle and lung ability.
FSID's scientific and medical advisor, Dr Sara Levene says, "It is vitally important that we can offer a clear message to parents on how to give their baby the chance of a lifetime. This pioneering study will make it possible to offer health professionals and parents research-based advice on the safest sleeping position for premature babies as they grow."
Statistics indicate that eight babies a week still die of cot death and the majority are under six months old.
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