This holiday season
make every sleep for
baby a safe sleep
As the holiday season approaches, families
are more likely to be on the move. It is
important that those with babies always have
a safe place for baby to sleep. Relying on a
makeshift bed while on holiday poses risk
of suff ocation for babies in the fi rst year of
life, so planning ahead to always have a safe
sleep environment will help protect babies
from suff ocation.
Baby sleeps safely in wahakura
ELIMINATE exposure to smoking, alcohol
and drug use, and have a smokefree family,
home and car. The wider whānau can also
provide support to mum by also becoming
smokefree.
POSITION baby fl at and on the back as
their drive to breathe is best this way.
ENCOURAGE and support Mum to
breastfeed so baby will be strong.
Safe hands
Holiday season
is ‘party season’
as friends and
families celebrate
and have fun
together. It is
important those
with babies always
have a safe, sober caregiver or
babysitter with ‘Safe Hands.’
Safe Hands will:
• Handle babies gently
• Always place babies fl at and on the back for
sleep
• Never expose babies to smoking, alcohol or
drugs
• Do safety checks of babies beds and remove
pillows, loose wraps and soft toys
• Stay close and respond to babies needs for
food, comfort and safety.
Mums-to-be and parents are being encouraged
to report suspected side eff ects as part of
a global push to make medicines safer for
everyone.
About 10-percent of patients who are admitted to
hospital each year in New Zealand is due to them
having an Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) from a
medicine.
Medwise Clinical Pharmacist Pauline McQuoid
says ADRs can be anything from a mild side eff ect
to an allergic reaction ranging from skin irritation
to a severe Anaphylaxis.
“It’s really important for people to report suspected
side eff ects. Reporting side eff ects can lead to new
warnings for patients, making medicines safer for
everyone.”
This year’s medsafety week is particularly focused
on encouraging parents and caregivers to report
suspected side eff ects in children and pregnancy.
“Medicines aff ect your baby and children in
diff erent ways. Medicines taken when pregnant or
breastfeeding means they may reach your baby.
Always ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s right
for you and your baby.
“When giving your baby or child their medicine,
double check it’s the right medicine in the right
dose, using the right spoon, syringe or device.”
Report it online
To keep babies safe during sleep, always
follow these simple rules:
PLACE baby in his or her own bed, if co-
sleeping is desired, consider placing baby
safely in a wahakura (woven bassinet for
infants) or pepi pod. Face clear of loose
bedding and NO pillows, hats, bibs and soft
toys.
Mums-to-be and parents
focus for medicine safety
Taken a medicine and feel unwell? You might be experiencing a side eff ect - make sure you report it to the
Centre for Adverse Reactions (CARM) online at https://nzphvc.otago.ac.nz/consumer-reporting/
Mum Natasha Cunningham watches over her baby
son Keanu, safely resting in his wahakura.
For Natasha having a wahakura for Keanu
has made things so easy, especially as he
was born four weeks early. “He needed to be
fed more often and needed a bit more closer
monitoring once we got home from hospital.
The wahakura allowed me to have Keanu
sleeping in the lounge during the day, and
I had the wahakura in bed with me at night
time so that I could have him close to me,
which has really helped with bonding and
breastfeeding.” She says her mum lives in
Te Poi, so when she goes to visit she takes
Keanu’s wahakura too. “Keanu can sleep in a
familiar space and I know that he is going to
be safe.”
Cool to Move
• Holidays are spent outdoors and travelling
to our favourite places. Always check that
babies travel in a safety approved carseat
that is correctly fi tted in the vehicle.
Covered carseats, and prams or strollers
where babies lie to sleep can heat up
quickly when outdoors. For babies, this
can cause overheating, reduced airfl ow and
make it diffi cult for them to breathe.
Ask your
doctor
or pharmacist
When your doctor prescribes medicine
and when you pick this up from your
pharmacist, ASK THEM:
• To protect babies from the sun, cover
them, not the carseat, pram or stroller. Use
light, cotton clothing and a light muslin
cloth, and keep them in a cool and shaded
area on hot days. Water, sand and concrete
can refl ect UV light that causes sunburn,
so it is best to avoid placing prams and
strollers near these areas. • What is the medicine for?
• Never leave babies and young children
sleeping in a parked car. Light from the sun
passes through the windows and heats up
materials in the car that radiate heat which
can quickly overheat a sleeping child. • What are the side eff ects of taking this
medicine?
• What is its name?
NEED
HELP?
For life threatening conditions,
severe or rapidly worsening
symptoms or major injuries:
Call 111 or go to your nearest (ED)
Emergency Department:
Whakatāne Hospital,
Garaway Street, Whakatāne
• How and when do I take it?
• How long do I need to take it for?
• What could happen if I stop taking it?
• Will it clash with the other medicines I’m
taking?
• What should I do if I get these?
Next Friday it’s
Te Rā Mokopuna
(National Safe Sleep day).
Currently approximately 44
babies are lost every year
as a result of
Sudden Unexpected Death
in Infancy (SUDI).
We can signifi cantly reduce
the risk for our babies by
following the simple
PEPE rules.