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• Pillow: Babies and adults are different. A pillow can block a baby’s nose and mouth and can cause a baby to suffocate. Parents can safely start using pillows for children who are one and half years old. They are not safe for babies who are less than a year old due to the risk of suffocation. NEVER use a pillow for a baby under one year of age. The same goes for duvets, quilts, baby nests, wedges and bedding rolls. Very young babies can suffocate if they have a pillow in their cot. 

• Put your baby on their back to sleep: Babies are more at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) when they sleep prone; that is, face down. Once your baby can roll over (at around 4-6 months), keep putting him to sleep on his back, but let him find his own sleeping position. If you are breastfeeding and bed-sharing, your baby may spend time in the side position during and following nursing. The first three months of a baby’s life are sometimes referred to as the fourth trimester. Stomach sleeping increases the risk that the baby will breathe stale air though the bunching of material from the sheets.

• Baby bedding: You’ll want to provide your baby with bedding that is both comfortable and perfectly safe. Your baby needs to sleep somewhere that's safe, warm and not too far from you. It's scary, but a baby can suffocate on soft bedding like a bumper pad, comforter, or pillow.

• Blankets & mattress: Blankets are usually the part of their baby’s bedding that parents get wrong. Make sure there are no gaps between the mattress and the edge of the cot, where a baby’s head could get jammed. And select a firm mattress (a soft one is a suffocation hazard) that fits tightly in the crib. A soft mattress makes it difficult to keep the bedding tight and prevent your baby from re-breathing stale air. No missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets  or other hardware on the crib or mattress support.

• Clothing your baby: This section of the guide is designed to educate you about dressing your baby in for sleep, and is separated according to different age groups. All you need for the first few weeks are enough clothes to make sure that your baby will be warm and clean.

• Cot safety: When you start thinking about where your baby is going to sleep at night or decorating your child's bedroom, you may find it useful to keep these safety tips in mind. Baby will spend many hours in a cot, so make sure it is safe. The mattress must fit snugly, with no space for the baby's head to get stuck.

• Baby carrier: Baby carriers are attached with straps and your baby is carried in front of you. If you are new to baby wearing, or just started with a new type of carrier, take time to learn how to use it appropriately to ensure that baby is positioned both closely and securely inside. You can purchase baby carries from anywhere.

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