Nuala Fennell
Question:51 Mrs. Fennell asked the Minister for Health when he intends to promote the new findings with regard to cot deaths; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Cot Deaths.
As a result of recent studies concerning sudden infant death syndrome — cot death — and following consultation between the chief medical officer of the Department of Health and the Faculty of Paediatrics of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, my Department recommended the following guidelines which may help parents and those caring for babies to reduce the risk of sudden infant deaths: a baby should be placed on his or her back or side to sleep; babies should not be allowed to become too warm; expectant mothers should not smoke nor allow anyone to smoke near the baby during the first year of life; if at all possible mothers should breastfeed babies for the first few weeks, not because this in itself reduces the risk of cot death, but because it may reduce the risk of infection.
In addition the health promotion unit of my Department are liaising with the Irish Sudden Infant Death Association in the preparation of information materials on the matter and discussing other ways of disseminating the four points to parents.
It must be emphasised that notwithstanding these recommendations, which are primarily based on a recent statistical analysis of cot deaths as far as posture and temperature are concerned, the actual cause of these deaths still sadly remains uncertain. My Department will be keeping research in this matter constantly under review.