Latest cot-death research shows that many parents still keep their baby too warm

More than 200 parents with babies under one year took part in a survey conducted by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. Almost two thirds did not know the correct temperature for a baby's room (16C-20C or 60F-70F) and 64% of parents had homes that were generally too warm.

The causes of cot death aren't known for certain but research suggests that several factors, including overheating, could be responsible for the sudden and unexpected deaths of eight babies every week in the UK. (For more information about current research see What causes cot death?)

As parents, we have a tendency to want to wrap up babies well, particularly against the vagaries of the British weather. Now, we need to question that wisdom. Dr Sara Levene, medical adviser to the foundation said, 'The fact is, a cool baby put to sleep on his or her back is a comfortable and safe baby. In shops, and even on the bus, parents need to think about whether their baby is too hot and remember to remove hats and extra clothing, even though it may mean waking the child'.

Babies find it much harder to regulate their body temperature than adults. They can't just kick blankets or duvets aside if they get too hot. When parents want to gauge body temperature they often touch their baby's cheek, hands or feet but in fact, the correct way to check temperature is by feeling the tummy. If it is hot or sweaty to the touch, then you need to remove a layer of bedding or clothing. To keep a really accurate check on room temperature, the foundation recommends that parents have a thermometer in the room where their baby sleeps.

The foundation's previous study (1997) highlighted the importance of room temperature in reducing cot death numbers but there's still no clear understanding about how and why overheating increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). It is believed that heat can affect a baby's breathing and encourage bacterial growth, which can lead to harmful toxins being released. More than 50,000 babies in the North of England and Bristol took part in the 1997 survey. 325 of those babies died of SIDS. The parents of the SIDS babies had been overly concerned about them being too cold. The SIDS babies were also more likely to have had heavier bedding and to have slept in rooms that were heated all night.

Joyce Epstein, FSID's director, said: 'Babies can get too hot for a variety of reasons, and room temperature is one of them. Our message to parents is: look at and touch your baby to see if they are too warm, and keep an eye on the room temperature.'

See also Reducing the risk of cot death.

Reduce the risk of cot death

DO

• use a thermometer in the room where your baby sleeps
• keep the room between 16C-20C (60F-70F)
• use lightweight sheets and layers of bedclothes
• tuck the bedclothes in
• feel your baby's tummy to check if he or she is too hot
• put your baby to sleep with feet at the bottom of the cot so they don't wriggle down under the covers
• remove baby's extra clothing, when you come in from outdoors

• use a duvet
• use too much bedding
• cover baby's head indoors or in bed
• place the cot next to a radiator
• let your baby sleep with a hot water bottle or electric blanket
• worry if your baby's hands or feet feel cool to your touch

For more information see
The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths website.