Smokers warned on baby dangers

Parents who smoke, or who smoked during pregnancy, should not share beds with their babies, a top health official told the Wellington Coroner's Court yesterday.

Dr Pat Tuohy, the Ministry of Health's chief adviser on child health, was presenting submissions at inquests into the deaths of three babies, who all apparently died from accidental asphyxia.

Dr Tuohy said parents were generally advised to put their babies to sleep in a cot, which could be close by their bed.

Aside from the danger of asphyxia, studies had shown that if the mother had smoked during pregnancy babies were at a greater risk from sudden infant death syndrome.

The names of the babies, who all died while sleeping in their parents' beds, have been suppressed.

Coroner Garry Evans adjourned the inquests, and reserved his findings.

Dr Tuohy, who had examined the files and medical records of the three babies, said that although research on smoking mothers related more to sudden infant death syndrome, some researchers had hypothesised that parents' smoking might affect a baby's responsiveness to a dangerous situation.

He said the baby might be less likely to wake and cry.

The ministry's advice was that it was good for the mother to breast-feed the baby, but it was important then to put the baby in a cot.

"Motherhood, however, is a demanding task and it would not be unbelievable that mother intended to put baby back [in its cot] but fell asleep, after frequently waking during the night," he said.

Pathologist Jane Zuccollo told the court babies were better off sleeping in cots.

However, if they were placed in a bed it should be well away from other children or adults, away from pillows and flat on their backs.

- NZPA