A baby died in the constituency of Labour MP Connor Rand – a death he says shows the real-world consequences of allowing unqualified practitioners to give sleep advice to parents. Speaking in a parliamentary debate last night, Rand described the unregulated baby sleep industry as a “Wild West” and urged the government to set out a timeline for legislation making training and background checks compulsory.
The debate was triggered by a BBC investigation that used secret filming to reveal self-described baby sleep experts giving parents dangerous advice. Medical professionals said that advice could increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids). Rand told MPs that the death of Madison Bruce Smith in his Altrincham and Sale West constituency had proved that lives are “still at risk”.
“MPs warn baby sleep industry still putting lives at risk after BBC investigation reveals dangerous advice.”
He called for the introduction of mandatory minimum safeguarding and paediatric qualification standards – backed by the National Nanny Association and The Lullaby Trust – as well as enhanced DBS background checks for nannies, maternity nurses, infant sleep consultants and any childcare professional working in private homes. Rand also highlighted the gap in postnatal support for new parents, saying the “infant sleep industry has boomed… as the support that used to be provided by the state has been stripped back.”
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Morrison said the government needed “a proper regulatory framework to make sure these charlatans that are putting out bogus sleep advice on social media… are held to account.” Conservative MP Robbie Moore said he “absolutely backs all of the calls” Rand put forward, emphasising that he wanted to see regulation for nannies and maternity nurses, as well as infant sleep consultants.
Health Minister Karin Smyth told MPs that “public safety is and has to remain the top priority.” Last month The Lullaby Trust and Morrison wrote to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for “urgent action”. Allie Bell and Maria Culley from the National Nanny Association said they hoped the debate marked the “start of meaningful reform” and the beginning of regulation for the wider baby sleep industry. “Families deserve clarity about the qualifications, training and safeguarding standards of those caring for their children, particularly during the earliest and most vulnerable stages of a child’s life,” they told the BBC.
As Rand’s recommendations sit before the government, the question remains: how long will the “Wild West” be allowed to operate unregulated?