Childcare staff to overrule parent wishes in national baby sleep safety crackdown

EXCLUSIVE: PARENTAL wishes about their baby’s sleep routines at childcare will be overruled by staff, under a new national child safety crackdown.

PARENTAL wishes about their baby’s sleep routines at childcare will be overruled by staff, under a new national child safety crackdown.

In a bid to reduce cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, staff will ignore the wishes of parents who want their babies to sleep on their front or side, unless a valid medical reason is provided.

The charity Red Nose, which aims to raise awareness of safe sleeping practices in order to prevent SIDS, came up with the guidelines.

They will be enforced from October 1 by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.

Childcare staff will ignore the wishes of parents who want their babies to sleep on their front or side unless a valid medical reason is provided.

Parents who want staff to swaddle or wrap the arms of babies over three months old, or to wrap babies who are old enough to roll, will also be overruled unless they have a doctor’s endorsement.

The guidelines will now say that without such medical advice, childcare staff “would not be expected to endorse practices requested by a family if they differ with Red Nose recommendations”.

According to the latest national statistics, almost 920,000 children attend some form of childcare.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that in 2015 there were 113 sudden unexplained baby deaths, including from SIDS.

Sound sleeping guidelines

■ Babies will sleep on their back unless there is a valid medical reason to put them on their side or front

■ Parents who want staff to swaddle or wrap the arms of babies’ older than three months, or wrap babies who are already old enough to roll, will also be overruled unless endorsed by a doctor

■ No cushions or toys in the cot

■ Babies should be placed with their feet at the bottom of the cot so it is not possible for a blanket to come up over their heads

The sleep crackdown follows an inquest on the 2012 SIDS death of five-month-old Indianna Rose Hicks, who was in the care of a family day care educator in Queensland.

A coroner found Indianna’s mother insisted she be wrapped while napping, while guidelines said older babies’ arms should not be wrapped.

“Staff are required to follow Red Nose guidelines,” ACECQA spokesman Mark Saint said. “If a family’s beliefs and requests are in conflict with current evidence-based guidelines, the service will need to determine if there are exceptional circumstances that allow for alternate practices,” he said.

Nicole Lessio from lobby group The Parenthood said some parents may find changes to their child’s sleep positions challenging, but “no one wants to lose a child to SIDS”.

“For parents, their children’s safety and well-being is the number one priority,” she said.

Author and lactation consultant Pinky McKay said parents who hand over children to childcare staff “hand over the responsibility”.

“It’s good to think uniform standards are now in place,” she said.

Mother of three Naomi Mackenzie, whose sister died of SIDS at the age of five months, said the changes would help ensure the safety of children in childcare.

“These changes are about childcare centres being able to provide the safest environment that they can,” she said.

Mum Naomi Mackenzie, pictured with her 20-month-old baby Ruby, says the changes will help ensure the safety of children in childcare. Picture: Jason Edwards

She said she understood some parents might feel their rights were under attack, but was adamant that a child’s safety must come first.

“Working parents grapple with the guilt of being at work when they should be with their kids, but we just want our kids to be happy, and the thought of them distressed at childcare is difficult.”

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