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Parents are being reminded about the importance of car seat safety after the death of a baby who was left in one to sleep.

Couple Ali and Derek Dodd dropped their son Shepard off at his childminder’s who placed him in his car seat to sleep rather than a cot.

According to the police report, the 11-week-old had been put to sleep in the unbuckled seat and placed on the floor in a room, unsupervised.

This was despite his carer reportedly being spoken to about the dangers of this just days before his death, in April this year.

When she returned to check on him he wasn’t breathing.

Since the tragedy his parents, from Oklahoma, US, have been campaigning through the Facebook site Shepard’s Watch to highlight the dangers of letting babies sleep in car seats.

The issue was being discussed as part of a study on child safety in Oklahoma this week.

While childcare providers have always had rules and regulations against placing infants in anything but a cot or a Moses basket to sleep, the Dodds want the rules to be clearer.

And they want parents to be in no doubt about the danger sleeping in a car seat can pose.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Ali - who wants car seat manufacturers to display clear warning signs about the dangers of using car seats for sleeping in - explained why she is trying to spread the sleep safe message across the world.

She said: “We want to stress that our mission is not to put any more fear in parents about how to keep their children safe.

“Our mission is simply to educate them and make people aware of dangers that many of us really didn’t know about before.

“When a car seat is properly used, as it is intended to be used, which is for travel purposes only, and if a baby is frequently and properly supervised while in them, then a car seat isn’t a dangerous thing to use.

"Same goes for rockers, swings, slings, or any other rocking, travelling or sitting device.”

Ali, who has an older son Presley, five, added: “Despite how many deaths are caused by unsafe sleep practices and how many new studies and factual information published about the dangers of using car seats and sitting devices for sleeping, we are still seeing a shocking number of folks out there saying how many doctors and paediatricians still actually encourage new parents to put their baby in car seats to sleep if they have acid reflux or other similar problems.

Read more: Heartbroken family hit by two mystery cot death tragedies to undergo genetic testing

"They are misleading and putting lives in danger every time they promote unsafe sleep practices.

"The public has to be aware of these dangers and be proactive about avoiding them.

"The risk is just not worth it, and sometimes you just have to play it safe even if it's inconvenient.

"Our children's lives are so much more important than convenience.

"Why wouldn’t parents want to take every single precaution they possibly could to keep their babies safe?

"Not to mention, parents also should feel confident that the child care providers that we trust to care for our babies are also doing everything they should be doing to keep them safe.”

The ‘positional asphyxia’ believe to have caused Shepard's death occurs when a baby slouches down in a car seat or infant rocker and their airway closes.

Newborns and young infants don’t have the neck strength to lift their heads enough to breathe.

The Lullaby Trust, which promotes expert advice on safer baby sleep, acknowledges how difficult it is to keep babies awake when out and about, but says parents should avoid car seat sleeps as much as possible.

Lucy Lyus, the charity’s research and information manager, said: "Car seats are not recommended for long sleep periods, as an alternative for a cot or Moses basket.

"Of course when you’re out and about with your baby, it is difficult to avoid your baby falling asleep.

"It is advised that babies spend no more than two hours in a car seat at a time, so try and break up long periods of travel, and don’t let your baby sleep in a car seat when not travelling.

"Lie-flat car seat models are available, which are safe for babies to sleep in.

"It is also important to make sure babies don’t get too hot in the car, so make sure to remove any thick layers or hats.

"In general, our advice is that the safest place for a baby to sleep is on their back in their own cot or Moses basket, on a firm, flat, waterproof mattress."

Key points to remember when putting your child to sleep

Do not leave children unsupervised

Never leave children in a car seat with unbuckled or partially buckled straps

Car seats should never be placed on a soft or unstable surface

Infants in bouncers, strollers, and swings may be able to manoeuvre into positions that could compromise their airway; straps on devices may not prevent infants getting into hazardous situations

Ensure that infants cannot twist their heads into soft bedding or slump forward in a seat; restraints should be used according to manufacturer’s instructions

Slings are particularly hazardous because of their design and the ease with which an infant’s airway can be collapsed. If used, a baby’s face should be visible and ‘kissable’ at all times

Do not place more than one infant together in a swing meant for one infant

(source Dr Erich Batra)