Tēnā koutou,

Sometimes coroners report the death of a baby while bedsharing where there is a wahakura or Pēpi-Pod available, but not used that sleep. There is no blame implied in sharing this fact. None. Many factors influence parental decisions, especially in relation to infant sleep. To me, though, this is a double tragedy, the lost child and the lost opportunity to protect. Neither can be got back and the anguish and suffering of that is unimaginable.

This concerns me, must concern us, must make us reflect on our practice. For we, in this network, are in the business of creating opportunities. We must seek to understand our part in why people may know, but not do the protective thing. A Pēpi-Pod, for example, is only an opportunity until it is used.

For a baby, opportunities lost or gained last a lifetime. Time matters more when development is most rapid. The needs of a child are urgent. This is biological relativity and applies to any rapidly developing system. Our work is to open windows of opportunity for increasing protection while leaving families aware, not fearful; empowered, not judged; clear not muddled; believed in, not doubted; enabled not hindered.

This is skilled work, for such opportunities lie in our communication of safe sleep information, our korero and listing ears, as well as in the infant beds themselves. So how acknowledging are we of what is going well for a family, because this may be the confidence boost they need to engage? How honest are we with parents about their babies vulnerability, because this may be the fuel of their motivation to protect? How attuned are we to underpinning feelings and beliefs, because therein may hide barriers to uptake? How trusting are we of parents' influence as role models and peer communicators, because this may be key to their participation and self-worth.

Opportunities - creating them, offering them, passing them to families who feel enabled by them. This is the business of safe sleep work.

Mā te wā, Stephanie