Mother should always place your baby on their back to sleep and not on their front or side.

Sleeping your baby on their back (known as the supine position) every night is one of the most protective actions you can take to ensure your baby is sleeping as safely as possible.

There is substantial evidence from around the world to show that sleeping your baby on their back  at the beginning of every sleep or nap (day and night) significantly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Important things to remember

• You should always place your baby on their back to sleep and not on their front or side (unless your doctor has advised you of a medical reason to do so)
• Sleeping a baby on their front or side greatly increases the chance of SIDS
• It is important that you always put your baby on their back as part of their regular sleep routine – the chance of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are sometimes placed on their front or side

If your baby rolls onto their tummy

If your baby has rolled onto their tummy, you should turn them onto their back again. Once your baby can roll from back to front and back again, on their own, they can be left to find their own position.

The importance of routine in reducing the risk of SIDS

The best way to make sure your baby sleeps on their back is to do this from day one, and keep putting them to sleep on their backs for every day and night time sleep.

It is also important that you keep the same routine for your baby, as babies who are normally slept on their backs but sometimes slept on their fronts are at a great risk of sudden death.