BASIS on Sleep Pods and Nests I am a Health Visitor

Amy and Jenny chat to the lovely Alice from the Baby and Infant Sleep Information Source (BASIS) about sleep pods and nests.

We cover the evidence base - what can we and can't we say about these products. Are they safe or not? In what circumstances? How do we actually know one way or the other?

We talk about what manufacturing standards these products are held to, as well as some of more the hidden risks and implications the use of these items have. We also consider the disproportionate impact on families who live with a low income, who may be tempted to recreate homemade versions and leading to a cluster of co-occurring SIDS risks.

Alice tells us about her research from a recent survey with parents about their use of sleep pods and we discuss how to have appropriate conversations with families to help minimise risk while sticking to the evidence base and avoiding scaremongering or judgement.

We have quite a few other episodes on sleep now - so do check back through our back catalogue if this is a topic that interests you!

Thanks so much for listening everyone - we would love to hear from you with any comments or suggestions to iamahealthvisitor@gmail.com

Resources and Further Reading:
The BASIS website - check out their resources if you haven't ever used them, they're brilliant:
https://www.basisonline.org.uk

Professor Helen Ball webinar on "What is Normal Infant Sleep: The View From Anthropology":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fOogsUpIk

Lullaby Trust Resources on Baby Products:
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/sleeping-products/

and:
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/The-Lullaby-Trust-Product-Guide-Web.pdf

Specific to sleep positioners:
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/are-sleep-positioners-safe-for-babies/