Safe Sleep Comes First: My Response to the BBC's Investigation into Baby Sleep Advice

If you've seen the recent BBC News investigation into baby sleep consultants, you may be feeling unsettled, and rightly so. The report uncovered some genuinely shocking advice being given to new parents, including a recommendation to put a newborn to sleep on its front, and the use of rolled-up towels and loose muslins in cots. Both practices significantly increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

I want to address this directly, because as a paediatric sleep consultant, and as someone who has built her practice on the trust of over 2,000 families since 2009, I think the parents who come to me deserve to know exactly where I stand.

I'm Not Connected to the Practitioners in the Report

The BBC investigation focused on Alison Scott-Wright (who calls herself the "Magic Sleep Fairy") and Lisa Clegg (the "Blissful Baby Expert"). I want to be clear: I have no professional connection to either of them. Sleep Fairy Parent Rescue is my own practice, founded in 2009 and based in Reading, and the advice I give is my own.

I understand the name overlap may cause confusion for some parents, and I'm sorry if you came across my website feeling worried. I hope what follows reassures you.

Where I Stand on Safe Sleep

My approach has always followed, and will always follow, the safer-sleep guidance issued by the NHS and The Lullaby Trust. That means:

• Babies sleep on their backs, every sleep, for the first 12 months. Front sleeping is never something I would suggest. The evidence on this is decades deep and unambiguous.

• Cots stay clear. No rolled towels, no loose muslins around the head, no bumpers, no positioners, no pillows for babies under one.

• Mattresses should be firm, flat, and waterproof.

• Babies should sleep in the same room as their parents for the first six months.

• The room should be a moderate temperature, smoke-free, and the baby's feet should be at the foot of the cot.

None of this is controversial in evidence-based sleep work. It's the foundation. Anything I do with a family, every routine I help build, every settling technique I teach, sits on top of that foundation. I won't compromise on it, and I'd encourage any parent to walk away from any practitioner who suggests otherwise.

Why the Industry Has a Problem

Let me be honest with you. The BBC is right that this industry has a problem. Anyone in the UK can call themselves a "sleep expert" or a "sleep consultant" tomorrow. There's no licensing body, no minimum training, no regulator who will check your work. And in a market full of exhausted, desperate parents, that's a dangerous gap.

I've watched this industry grow for nearly two decades, and I've seen brilliant, careful practitioners doing genuinely life-changing work for families. I've also seen people with very little experience charging large sums for advice that, at best, doesn't work, and at worst, as the BBC has shown, puts babies in real danger.

I welcome the conversation about regulation. I would support mandatory safer-sleep training for anyone offering paid sleep care to infants, and I support Health Secretary Wes Streeting's proposal to restrict the use of the term "nurse" to those properly qualified. The Bruce Smith family, who lost their four-month-old grandson Madison, are calling for these changes, and they're right to.

What to Look For When Choosing a Sleep Consultant

If you're a parent reading this and wondering how to tell good support from bad, here's what I'd ask before booking with anyone:

• Do they follow NHS and Lullaby Trust safer-sleep guidance, without exception? If they hint at front sleeping, "props" in the cot, or breathing monitors as a way around the rules, walk away.
  

• Are they clear about what they are and aren't qualified to do? A good sleep consultant won't diagnose reflux, allergies, tongue-tie, or anything else medical. We refer you to your GP or health visitor, every time.
  

• Do they ask about the whole picture before giving advice? Sleep, feeding, temperament, family life, your other children. One-size-fits-all plans are a red flag.
  

• Will they support you afterwards? Sleep work doesn't end when the call does. Real change takes weeks, and you need someone in your corner during it.
  

• Are they happy for you to ask questions, including hard ones? If a consultant gets defensive when you push back, that tells you everything.
  

A Note to Worried Parents

If you've been following advice from any sleep consultant and now you're not sure if it was safe, please don't sit with that worry alone. Speak to your health visitor or GP. Check your baby's sleep set-up against The Lullaby Trust's safer-sleep guidance. And if you want to talk it through with someone who will be honest with you, you're welcome to call me. There's no charge for an initial conversation.

I'm angry about what the BBC investigation uncovered. I'm angry on behalf of the parents who paid for advice that could have hurt their babies, and I'm angry on behalf of every consultant in this field who works carefully, ethically, and within the evidence. The families I work with deserve better than the picture that report painted, and I'm going to keep doing my small part to be better than that.

Thank you for reading. If you have any concerns or questions, my line is always open.

Dee 07977 462 252 Book a free call