New research has found that around a quarter of cot deaths could be prevented if sleeping babies’ heads didn’t become covered with bedclothes.

The study by researchers from Bristol and Auckland Universities found that the average occurrence of head covering in babies who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was 24.6%.

The findings have been welcomed by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), which advises that babies should be placed with their feet to the foot of the cot, with the bedclothes firmly tucked in and no higher than their shoulders so they can’t wriggle under the covers.

Professor George Haycock, FSID’s scientific adviser, suggests a lightweight baby sleeping bag may be a safer alternative to blankets, and adds: “We know that too much bedding and clothing, as well as overly warm rooms and poor ventilation, are associated with cot death.

“Therefore, it’s very important that parents follow our advice and never use a duvet or quilt if their baby’s under a year old.”

Cot death is the biggest killer of babies over one month old in the UK, claiming the lives of around 300 infants every year.