Red Nose

Red Nose (Formerly SIDS and Kids WA)

Program

Reducing the Risk of Reducing the Risk of SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) in Aboriginal Communities (RROSIAC)

Region

State wide

Category

Non-Government

Source(s) of funding

Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Target group(s)

  • Aboriginal people
  • Families
  • Carers
  • Community
  • Aboriginal health workers
  • Professionals working with Aboriginal mothers and babies

Goals and objectives

Reducing the Risk of SIDS in Aboriginal Communities (RROSIAC)seeks to reduce the unacceptably high mortality rate of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), inclusive of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleeping accidents by:

  • Providing culturally appropriate safe sleeping information and skills to raise community awareness.
  • Identifying risk factors associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleeping accidents.
  • Delivering culturally appropriate training about SIDS, risk factors and safe sleeping recommendations

Strategies

The RROSIAC program was initiated in 2005 as a result of the continuing and unacceptably high infant mortality rate attributable to SIDS in Aboriginal communities in consultation with Aboriginal leaders, community members and Aboriginal health and community service organisations. Western Australian Maternal and Child data collected over 15 years to 2006 demonstrated that while there was a significant decreasing rate of SIDS among the general population following the ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign this trend was not observed amongst Aboriginal infants in Western Australia. This data strongly suggested that the available health promotion and education messages targeting SIDS risk factors were not reaching Aboriginal families and provided impetus to the culturally appropriate Reducing the Risk of SIDS in Aboriginal Communities (RRSOIAC) program. RROSIAC continues to be an integral part of the strategic direction of SIDS and Kids in Western Australia.

Providing a smoke free environment before and after birth is a fundamental factor in reducing the risk of SIDS in infants. The strategies used to reduce the risk of SIDS in Aboriginal infants promote the smoking cessation message by:

  • Delivering SIDS reduction training to WA regions and Aboriginal health workers utilising RROSIAC training resources.
  • Providing and facilitating smoking reduction strategies to Aboriginal parent groups.
  • Providing RROSIAC information and resources to Aboriginal organisation who work with Aboriginal mothers and babies.

Red Nose (Formerly SIDS and Kids (WA))

https://rednose.com.au

Address: 33 Sixth Ave KENSINGTON WA 6151
Email: education@rednose.com.au

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