Here’s what you need to know about the links between smoking and cot death, and what you can do to reduce the risk.

How significant is the risk of cot death if I smoke when I’m pregnant?
How significant is the risk of cot death if I smoke at home?
What can I do to create a smoke-free environment at home?

I don’t smoke but my husband/partner does. Is this dangerous too?
I don’t think I can quit smoking. What should I do?

How long after I’ve smoked should I stay away from my baby? I’ve heard smoke particles can stick to my clothes.

No one in my home smokes, and we rarely go anywhere smoky but I still worry if my child ever goes into a smoky environment. Can this increase the risk of cot death?

We don’t smoke but we have a relative/friend who babysits regularly and her clothes always smell of smoke. She doesn’t smoke when she’s visiting us, but I’m worried my child is breathing in the stale smoke on her clothes. What should I do?

Where can I get help to quit smoking?


How significant is the risk of cot death if I smoke when I’m pregnant?
Smoking in pregnancy is dangerous. Scientific evidence shows that around 30% of deaths could be avoided if mothers didn’t smoke when they were pregnant. Taken together with the risks of smoking around a baby at home, this means that smoking could be linked to 60% of cot deaths.

If you smoke 1-9 cigarettes a day during pregnancy you are more than 4 times as likely to have a baby die as a cot death than a woman who didn’t smoke at all during pregnancy.

Even if you did smoke when they were pregnant, you should still try not to expose your baby to smoke after birth as this can help reduce the risk of cot death. It’s definitely still worth making your home smoke-free.

How significant is the risk of cot death if I smoke at home?
The risk is very significant. Scientific evidence shows that about 30% of cot deaths could be avoided if parents didn’t smoke around their children.

Babies who are exposed to 1-2 hours of smoke a day are more than twice as likely to die as those who have no exposure to tobacco smoke, while those living in a smoky home where they are exposed to smoke all day are 8 times more likely to die.

What can I do to create a smoke-free environment at home?
• Even if you do smoke, you can have a really positive effect on reducing the risk of cot death by making your home a smoke-free zone and always going outside to smoke.
• Don’t let anyone else smoke in your house, including family, friends and other visitors. Ask anyone who wishes to smoke to go outside.
• Never share a bed with your baby if you or your partner is a smoker (even if you don't smoke in bed or at home). The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months.
• Smoking in the car with your baby can be very harmful. Try to avoid smoking in the car on short trips, and on longer trips stop for a break and get out of the car to smoke.

I don’t smoke but my husband/partner does. Is this dangerous too?
Yes, it is. If your partner smokes then your baby is over 3 times more likely to die than if your partner doesn’t smoke.

The risk of death also rises with the number of smokers in the household. A family with one smoker has nearly 5 times the risk of a cot death of a non-smoking household, while there is 11 times the risk if two people smoke and 16 times the risk if three or more people smoke.

I don’t think I can quit smoking. What should I do?
We know how hard it is to give up smoking but, as you can see from the statistics above, it is a very significant factor in cot death. Even if you can’t give up, it is still worth trying to cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke and keeping your home smoke-free as this really can help to reduce the risk of your baby dying.

How long after I’ve smoked should I stay away from my baby? I’ve heard smoke particles can stick to my clothes.
We don’t yet know if there is a danger from smoke particles on clothes. Babies, however, should never be left alone. If you need to smoke and you are looking after your child alone, you should take your child outside in a pram or pushchair and stand a few steps away from your child while you smoke. Otherwise, leave your child inside the house with a trusted relative or child-minder while you go outside to smoke.

No one in my home smokes, and we rarely go anywhere smoky but I still worry if my child ever goes into a smoky environment. Can this increase the risk of cot death?
The risk of cot death from occasional, sporadic exposure to a smoky environment is likely to be very low, but there isn’t enough scientific evidence for us to know the precise risk.

We don’t smoke but we have a relative/friend who babysits regularly and her clothes always smell of smoke. She doesn’t smoke when she’s visiting us, but I’m worried my child is breathing in the stale smoke on her clothes. What should I do?
We don’t yet know if there is a danger from smoke particles on clothes. You should realise, however, that a smoker will find it difficult not to smoke, and you need to be open with them and discuss what they are going to do if they need to smoke. We suggest that they take your child outside in a pram or pushchair and stand a few steps away from your child while they smoke, but they must keep an eye on your child at all times.

Where can I get help to quit smoking?
The best way to stop smoking is with the help and support of your local stop smoking service - you are four times more likely to succeed in your quit attempt with their help. Your GP or local pharmacist will also be able to provide information or stop smoking aids.

Further information:

Visit the NHS Go Smoke Free website