Not Allowing Child Comforters In Cots At Our Centre

[sjane]

Hi there, I would really really love and appreciate some help if anyone knows the answers to my worry! The director at our centre has asked the staff not allow the babies who are now aged 12 months - 15 months their comforters in the cots. With the SIDS guidelines being the reason. Although I haven't been given any sids evidence which suggest the babies shouldn't have their dummy or their small cuddly blanket while asleep. We all know how to prepare a safe bed, to remove loose items before putting baby in, no teddies, no toys, etc which is fine. Non of the babies have comforters as such and a couple of them have a dummy, one gets swaddled for comfort and a couple have a small blanket they they rub between fingers to help settle if they wake midway through a sleep and just for general comfort on going to sleep in a different place from home without mum or dad.
Parents are upset, babies are waking sooner and not completing their normal amount of sleep, looking for comforter and becoming upset.
Am I out of line to become upset that these babies are already separated from mum or dad, needing a comforter and aren't allowed to have it?

Thanks for reading

[Lorina]

Babies at this stage still need their comforters especially if at home they are so use to using them, during sleep time. If parents at home are allowing children to use their comforters then at the centre the child should be able to use them as well. Once parents stop using comforters at home then you can implement this at the centre as well... In regards to the SIDS issue, as long as your are following the guidelines you have mentioned above then I don't see an issue of allowing children their comforters in their cot. Also, in your room you should be doing "sleep checks" every 10 minutes while the children are sleeping where you can keep a watchful eye on the sleeping children...

Comforters help settle a child because it's something familiar to them which calms them down and not allowing them to use it provides a more stressful environment for them...

for the best interests of the needs of the child you really need to get this issue worked out or a compromise needs to be made...

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

Hi Again,

I just came across the following information:

SIDS - Using A Dummy

Thought you might want to have a read...

,
Lorina

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Sjane,
That seems a bit harsh. I am sure in your centre you have to check on the children at regular intervals when they are sleeping as we do in FDC and you might even have a window into the room as well. I wonder what might of happened for your Director to change to this. There has to be something.
I definitely would not like to be in your situation.
When I started last year with 2 new babies I bought fancy baby monitors so I could see and hear everything.
Linsaa fdc