Safer sleep advice still isn't reaching all families so each week babies continue to die. I want all parents to have access to this information so that no family has to suffer a loss like we did.
Emma Smith
Radio 4 listeners donated an amazing total of £8,206 to The Lullaby Trust following our appeal in March. Thank you to everyone who donated!
The Lullaby Trust is dedicated to saving babies’ lives. Every year over 600 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly, of which approximately 250 deaths remain unexplained and will be attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or ‘cot death’ as it is more commonly known. The Lullaby Trust works to prevent these tragedies and drive down the rate of SIDS.
We are proud that The Lullaby Trust has played a major role in the reduction of SIDS, by 85% across the UK, through funding research to identify risk factors. Our aim is to ensure everyone involved with the care of a baby is equipped with the latest knowledge on how best to keep babies safe and reduce the chance of SIDS. We work to achieve this through raising awareness of our ‘safer sleep for babies’ advice.
Emma Smith told Radio 4 listeners about her daughter Maisy who sadly died aged just 10 weeks old. Emma had fed Maisy downstairs on the sofa in the sitting room and the next thing she remembered was waking up. Maisy was there by her side but Emma knew immediately that Maisy wasn’t sleeping.
No one knows why Maisy died that night. The cause of sudden infant death syndrome remains unknown, but research by The Lullaby Trust, has proven there are simple steps parents can take to lower the chance of it happening to their child. The risk of sudden infant death is 50 times higher if you fall asleep with your baby on the sofa, rather than placing them in their own cot.
The money raised by Radio 4 listeners will help The Lullaby Trust to train 30 health professionals, enabling them to deliver safer sleep information directly to new and expectant parents under their care, ensuring our key advice reaches the families that need it.
Thank you once again to all of ±«Óãtv Radio 4’s listeners for helping us to continue our vital work.
You can find out more about the charity .