Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

The risk of SIDS occurring is increased if you are using drugs or alcohol during pregnancy or after the birth of your baby. Apart from reducing or ceasing your alcohol and drug use and smoking (with appropriate assistance from a health professional and/or support group), there are a number of things you can do to decrease this risk:

Follow the 'SIDS and Kids' safe sleeping guidelines (see below for contact details).
Provide a smoke-free environment for your baby during pregnancy and after birth.
Don't have your baby sleep in your bed with you. Drugs, alcohol and prescribed medicines can cause you to sleep heavily. This may make you less aware of where your baby is in the bed, leading to the risk of accidentally smothering the baby under these circumstances.
Develop a safety plan. Have a responsible adult available to care for your baby if you decide to use drugs or alcohol.
Be sure that other people who care for your baby know how to put her/him to sleep safely.