About
Carly's research project seeks to build on the co-designed Queensland Clinical Guideline (QCG) for Safer Infant Sleep and represents a critical component of a broader, integrated approach to translating the Guideline into real-world, practical supports for families. The focus will be on the co-design and testing of parent-facing educational resources, developed in collaboration with families, health professionals, and other key stakeholders. These resources will be accessible, relevant and family centered, addressing safer sleep practices - including shared sleep - in ways that reflect the diverse needs and contexts of families. Importantly, resources will be designed for use by both families and health professionals to support more effective, respectful, and culturally responsive conversations around infant sleep safety. They will also assist with practical sleep planning to reduce risk in everyday settings, ?promoting a shift from risk elimination messaging toward risk minimisation strategies that are more likely to be understood, accepted and used by families.
By providing practical guidance tailored to families’ experiences and values, this project aims to reduce preventable infant deaths, promote safer sleep for all infants, and strengthen support for parents in making informed choices. The findings will inform Queensland’s broader infant sleep strategy, with potential to influence national and international safe sleep policies, positioning Australia as a leader in collaborative, evidence-based approaches to keeping babies safe.