Whakawhetu will be marking World Smokefree Day this Tuesday 31^st May by highlighting how important smoke-free environments are for the health of New Zealand babies.

Smoking is the single leading cause of preventable death in NZ with 5000 New Zealanders dying from smoking related illnesses each year. Not only does this include smokers, it also includes those exposed to second hand smoke including babies and children. “Babies and children are especially vulnerable to the effects of second hand smoke as they can’t often move away from the smoke or smoker” says Kodi Hapi, General Manager of Whakawhetu, National SIDS Prevention for Māori. “Smoke exposure harms babies during pregnancy and after birth making them more vulnerable to Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI). It weakens baby’s vital systems such as breathing as he or she develops, exposing them to the risk of unintentional suffocation” says Miss Hapi.

It is essential that babies exposed to smoke during pregnancy or after birth are:

• always placed for sleep flat on their backs (not propped)
• always close to a sleeping parent (in the same room but in their very own baby bed such as wahakura, peepi-pod, cot or bassinette)
• always breathing smokefree air
• always breastfed

“It is important that for the first six months parents adhere to the safe sleeping recommendations every time and place their baby sleeps” says Miss Hapi.  

The theme for this year is 'Me mutu - Kia kaha / Give quitting a go - you can do it' and Whakawhetu encourages pregnant women who smoke to seek support from their midwife, whānau or a smoking cessation service, as soon as possible.  

More information on safe sleeping can be found on www.whakawhetu.co.nz

For more information on smoking cessation support contact http://www.aukatikaipaipa.co.nz/  or http://www.quit.org.nz/