About the Committee

The ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee and Kidsafe ACT today issued a reminder to Canberrans about keeping children safe when the weather is cold and the heaters are on.

The Chair of the ACT Children and Young people Death Review Committee, Ms Margaret Carmody said: “With the recent cold weather in Canberra, parents and carers need to remember what they can do to keep children safe.”

Ms Carmody highlights the importance of parents and carers remembering to place infants safely to sleep. “Don’t overwrap your baby, making sure that blankets do not cover their face” Ms Carmody said, “and they sleep safely in an appropriate bed”.

Red Nose provides important information about how to place your child to sleep safely. The room temperature should be between 16 and 18 degrees and doonas, hot water bottles or heat packs should not be used with babies.

Miss Jes Chalmers, CEO Kidsafe ACT, advises that “children need to be supervised around heaters and fireplaces. Heaters should be checked before use to ensure they are in a safe working condition and should be at least 1 metre away from curtains, furniture and other flammable materials”. Miss Chalmers advised “parents and care givers must ensure that smoke detectors are fitted and working properly within their home and to change the batteries annually”. More information on safe sleeping is available from: www.rednose.com.au or the Committee’s safe sleeping fact sheet

The purpose of the ACT Children and Young People Death review Committee is to prevent and reduce child deaths. Click on the links to access Committee reports, fact sheets, media releases and other related work of the Committee.

A number of child death review Committees have been established across the states and territories of Australia. Each state and territory in Australia with the exception of Western Australia keep a register of child deaths. A register of child deaths is kept nationally by New Zealand. The member jurisdictions of ANZCDR&PG have varying governance.