The Wahakura Project
He Mokopuna He Taonga l Our Children are Precious. Waha means ‘to carry’ while kura is derived from the Maori oriori or lullaby Pine Pine te Kura referring to a baby or something that is precious. The Wahakura Project was developed from matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge) practices as a safe sleeping place project by Dr David Tipene-Leach.
The Project was launched in Gisborne in July 2007. A wahakura is a woven flax bassinet for infants up to 6 months of age. This return to a traditional Maori way of sleeping babies creates a safe sleeping place for your baby. The wahakura relates directly to the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy implementation plan 2008-2011 where there is a commitment to Kaupapa Maori research evaluation and research for Maori.
Wahakura
A wahakura is a woven flax bassinette for infants up to 6 months of age. This return to a traditional Maori way creates a safe space for your baby. The wahakura also promotes breast-feeding and bonding with baby. The Wahakura is an innovative cultural response promoted by Maori SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) nationwide. By using traditional Maori knowledge and working in a Maori way we will be able to better protect lives and promote wellbeing of Maori babies.
SIDS also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden, unexpected death of a baby, the reason for which is not fully explained even after a thorough post mortem examination. It is the most common cause of death in babies aged between one week and one year. It is thought to happen when a baby is asleep and simply stops breathing. It causes the deaths of about 60 babies in New Zealand every year.
The National Maori SIDS Prevention Programme was contracted by the Public Health Commission and launched in March of 1994 to decrease SIDS mortality in the Maori community. A national campaign to reduce SIDS made a limited impact on Maori SIDS rates. To effectively address Maori rates it was necessary to develop a Maori specific programme.
What is SIDS?
Also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS is the sudden, unexpected death of a baby, the reason for which is not fully explained even after a thorough post mortem examination. It is the most common cause of death in babies aged between one week and one year.
It is thought to happen when a baby is asleep and simply stops breathing. It causes the deaths of about 60 babies in New Zealand every year. It is unclear why Maori statistics are so high but issues around high rates of maternal smoking in Maori women are linked to the high rate of SIDS. Socio-economic factors are also issues for Maori whanau (families) and their tamariki (children).
