‘Safety package’ for newborn babies

CHRISTCHURCH – A Maori tribe in New Zealand is giving all its newborn babies “safe sleeping packages”, hoping to reduce the rate of sudden unexpected death in infancy.

The packs include information about each baby’s tribal genealogy, clothing items, blankets, picture books and a woven flax sleeping basket, or wahakura.

Lisa Tumahai, deputy chair of the Ngai Tahu tribe, said the new initiative aims to ensure babies have a connection to their culture and educate mothers on safe sleeping practices.

“The statistics are significantly high,” Tumahai said.

“What we know is that of those babies that die suddenly, 60 per cent of them are of Maori descent.

“I think culturally – and it’s still a practice – we’re still putting baby in the bed, sleeping with their mums or sleeping with their grandparents.

“It could be a range of reasons, but the more education and support we can get out there for our young mums and their newborn babies, hopefully we can start changing some of those statistics.”

Every Ngai Tahu infant will receive one of these packs, Tumahai said, wherever they are in the world.

About 100 Ngai Tahu babies are born and registered each year, according to Radio New Zealand News.

The number of Maori infant deaths has decreased by 30 per cent since the rollout of wahakura in parts of the country in recent years, the news website said.

Ngai Tahu is the principal Maori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand.

The iwi’s tribal area, the largest in New Zealand, extends from Kaikoura in the north to Stewart Island in the south and includes the West Coast area.

- PNC/ABC