A recent court case over the death of a seven-week-old baby whose mother fell asleep holding her after consuming half a bottle of vodka highlights the risks of parental alcohol misuse to young children.
The case comes after the Office for National Statistics reported that the unexplained infant mortality rate increased from 195 deaths in 2015 to 219 in 2016.
Meanwhile, recent analysis by the University of Warwick of 27 serious case reviews involving sudden unexplained infant deaths found that if parents followed UK safe sleep guidance, many of those infant deaths could have been avoided.
"Falling asleep with a baby in a bed, chair or sofa after drinking alcohol increases the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI)," says Dr Jo Lacey, an expert in this field and fellow of the Institutes of Health Visiting.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
