Health service trials 'pods' in bid for safer baby sleep
A portable baby bed developed after the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand is now being used to help reduce sudden unexpected death among Cape York infants.
The Apunipima Cape York Health Council is working with organisations including the University of the Sunshine Coast, to provide the Pepi-pod Program in seven far north Indigenous communities.
Apunipima's Johanna Neville says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies are almost four times more likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly than non-Indigenous infants because of risk factors including low birth weight, exposure to smoking, alcohol, drug use or unsafe sleep environments.
"It was a cheap way to get bedding for infants that lost their homes in the earthquake," she said.
"From that, babies were very quickly safe to sleep in a new sleeping environment and they found a reduction in sudden unexpected death in infancy, especially amongst the Maori population.
She says it is now trialling the small plastic sleeping boxes in seven Cape York communities.
"Initially mothers are a bit surprised about the fact it is just a plastic box but once we dress that plastic box up with the fabric they're then very happy that it's a very transportable bed and it's very easy for them to see that baby can have every sleep in that bed throughout the day and that it is a safer one," she said.