Flemish Agency urges parents to follow five simple rules for safer baby sleep

The Flemish Agency Opgroeien has launched a new campaign to remind parents, babysitters, grandparents and other carers how to create a safe sleeping environment for babies. The push comes after a cautious rise in cases of sudden and unexpected infant deaths, both internationally and in Flanders. Many of these deaths are linked to unsafe sleeping conditions and could have been prevented.

Kind & Gezin says parents often lose sleep over mixed advice found online, from family, or from friends. The new “five rules for safe sleep” aim to cut through the confusion. The essentials are simple: always place babies on their backs, keep the cot clear and uncluttered, let babies sleep in their own bed close to the parents, help them get used to new situations, and ensure a smoke-free, healthy environment.

Although the number of classic cot deaths has remained stable since the 1990s “back to sleep” campaign, other sudden infant deaths, grouped under the term SUID, are rising. Data from UZ Leuven show that in Limburg and Flemish Brabant, 45 such deaths were recorded between 2010 and 2019. A quarter were preventable. Since 2020, 32 cases have already been registered, with seven in ten babies found in unsafe sleep situations.

Common dangers include soft mattresses, pillows, blankets and cuddly toys, as well as babies sleeping in an adult’s bed or on a sofa. Experts also warn against babies overheating or wearing hats indoors, and stress that a sleep sack is the safest option.

Parents may feel influenced by cosy images online, but Kind & Gezin stresses that babies don’t need decorated cots or large toys. They need proximity and supervision. A baby should sleep in the same room as the parents for the first six months, ideally in a separate cot or co-sleeper.

Dutch figures show that more parents now regularly sleep with their baby in their own bed, and this trend coincides with a rise in SUID cases. Kind & Gezin hopes stronger prevention can halt the increase.

A free webinar for care professionals will take place on 16 December. The organisation hopes to reach as many as 10,000 participants.

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