February 27, 2013
Pepe formula safe for babies
A Māori organisation working to stop preventable infant deaths has come up with a simple formula to remind whānau how to keep their babies safe.
Whakawhetu General Manager Kodi Hapi says the latest figures showing Māori infant deaths at record lows is good news, but more still needs to be done.
Contributing factors include changing parental practices, babies having their own sleeping space, and whānau giving up smoking for the sake of the babies.
Ms Hapi says these can be summed up with the simple acronym Pepe.
“The first P is to place baby into its own baby bed. The first E is to eliminate smoking. The second P is to position baby on their back to sleep and the last E is to encourage mum to breastfeed. Those are the main four messages that we’re trying to promote to families and we’re confident that if families follow these four messages, then it’s the best way for them to protect their babies from this preventable death,” she says.