Tēnā koutou,

We have started up Pod Talk again, as a forum for sharing updates and stories related to the work of protecting babies as they sleep. It is a simple way to connect with you as a network, and connect you to each other through what is shared. 

Why are we doing this mahi (work)? 

Access to portable baby beds, known as sleep spaces, is now not our main objective.  Their use by vulnerable infants when in risk locations, is. These are two very different objectives. Access is important, but, as we have learned, it is not enough. While the supply of portable baby beds has doubled in recent years, post-perinatal mortality has increased, and, sadly, some babies have died where there was a sleep space available, but not used for ‘that sleep’. 

A river without banks is a big puddle

Similarly, an intervention without monitoring lacks direction. We need timely feedback from data to make course adjustments and stay on track. This first issue is to remind all services that from July 1st, 2021, we will only be supplying goods to partner agencies. Partners are those agencies who understand and accept our refreshed ‘terms of supply’, made for quality reasons, and share our commitment to the collection of clinically relevant programme data with which to steer their services towards real change for our children.

Mā te wā, Stephanie