The 10-week-old boy died after being put to bed with his mother, who had been drinking heavily.
Two years ago, a Rotorua woman was jailed after her 2-month-old boy died while sleeping with his heavily intoxicated mother in the back of a car. The baby slipped under her arm and suffocated.
In the seven years Ms Fahy-Teahan had worked at Whaiora, there had been no cases of SUDI, she said.
"Our babies sleep on their backs. They're to sleep with a clear face."
Polar fleece blankets, which were made from recycled plastic bottles, were discouraged as babies often overheated in them, she said.
Children's Commissioner, Dr Russell Wills also backed Dr Baker's recommendation - but specified it would only be appropriate in suspicious cases.
"Sometimes adults simply refuse to follow advice and they choose to endanger their children," Dr Wills said.
"They drive drunk with the kids in the car, they don't ensure that kids wear the seatbelt that's fitted, they choose to co-sleep with a baby when they're drunk, even when [support networks] are in place."
These parents should be held accountable for their actions and blood testing could help, he said. Dr Baker said higher death rates among Maori and Pacific infants was also concerning.
Between 2003 and 2007, the SUDI rate for Maori and Pacific was 2.34 and 1.31 per 1000 infants, respectively. It was 0.53 for "other" infants, which included European babies. APNZ
Sleep safe tips
In safe sleep spaces, infants should be:
1. Back to sleep - infants should always be placed on their backs to sleep.
2. Smokefree - always allow babies to breathe air free of smoke.
3. In parents' room - babies are safest when sleeping in the same room that their parents sleep in for the first six months of life.
4. At a comfortable temperature, avoiding overheating - too many layers or too much heat from others can distress babies.
5. Looked after by a sober caregiver - someone who is ready and alert to meet their needs.
Source: Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand
