Calls for 'urgent action' on baby-sleep industry after BBC investigation

Calls for 'urgent action' on baby-sleep industry after BBC investigationJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMarthe de Ferrer,Amy JohnstonandDivya Talwar,BBC News InvestigationsGetty ImagesThe UK's leading baby-safety charity and an MP have written to the health secretary calling for "urgent action" to regulate the infant-sleep industry, following a BBC investigation.In the letter, the Lullaby Trust and Liberal Democrat Tom Morrison urge Wes Streeting to "ensure that no more babies' lives are put at risk due to unregulated and bogus sleep advice".Last week, an undercover BBC report revealed how some self-described sleep experts have been giving new parents advice that goes against long-established safer sleep NHS guidelines. Streeting said "dangerous misinformation dressed up as expert advice... must stop" and that parents should "only rely on trusted, evidence-based information" like the NHS Best Start in Life website.The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said in March that the law would be changed to limit who was allowed to call themselves a nurse.This means people working in a hands-on capacity as night nannies would no longer be able to operate as "maternity nurses".An inquest into the death of football manager Steve Bruce's four-month-old grandson found that Madison Bruce Smith died after being placed to sleep on his front by someone calling themselves a maternity nurse.But many, including the Bruce Smith family, are calling for greater changes to be made by the DHSC and for urgent regulation for anyone working with infants.Currently, there is no oversight or regulation of the industry - anyone can call themselves a baby-sleep expert or consultant regardless of experience or qualifications.As a result, people can sell advice to parents which could be putting babies at increased risk of harm - including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) - without consequence.Allow Inst...