Parental decision making about safer sleep practices in families with additional social care needs

Although rates of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) have decreased over time in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 2020), there were still 711 sudden and unexpected deaths of infants between April 2019 and March 2021 (National Child Mortality Database, 2022). Infants in the most deprived neighbourhoods were almost three times as likely to die as those living in the wealthiest neighbourhoods (National Child Mortality Database, 2022), with almost all cases involving parents who had engaged in unsafe sleeping practices despite awareness of safer sleeping advice. This article draws on research that was conducted to gain a better understanding of the views surrounding safer sleep practices of families supported by statutory child protection agencies.