Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths

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The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) is a charitable organisation aiming to prevent unexpected deaths in infancy and promote infant health. FSID fulfils these aims by:

- Funding research

- Supporting families whose babies have died suddenly and unexpectedly

- Disseminating information on infant health, baby care and sudden infant deaths to health professionals and the general public

- Working with professionals to improve investigations when a baby dies

Contents 1 Services offered by FSID 2 History of the Foundation 3 Reduce the Risk of cot death advice 4 Further information

[edit] Services offered by FSID

Helpline for parents, carers and health professionals and bereaved families, operating 7 days a week. 9am-11pm weekdays and 6pm-11pm weekends. 020 7233 2090

A wide range of publications and resources on reducing the risk of cot death and safe baby care, available from the website www.fsid.org.uk

A network of trained befrienders to support bereaved families

A phone card to enable bereaved parents to call our Helpline free of charge

A busy programme of training, events and Family Days Out throughout the UK The Care of Next Infant (CONI) Scheme, with the NHS, to support bereaved families when they have subsequent babies.

FSID operates throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As well as the team in head office there are also eight Regional Development Officers who actively promote FSID's campaigns across the country.

[edit] History of the Foundation

Over a third of a century ago - in 1971 - a meeting was convened in Cambridge as a result of one grandmother's search to find out why her baby grandson had died suddenly and unexpectedly. This gathering led to the founding of the world's first organisation devoted to research, information and support in the field of infant deaths.

Since FSID teamed up with the Department of Heath to launch the campaign to reduce the risk of cot death in 1991, the UK cot death rate has fallen by 75%, and has been hailed one of the most successful public health campaigns ever, estimated to have saved more than 20,000 lives.

FSID has gone on to become one of the world's leading authorities on cot death, the UK's largest funder of medical research into sudden infant death, the main source of support for bereaved families and a major information provider.

[edit] Reduce the Risk of cot death advice

updated August 2007

• Cut smoking in pregnancy – fathers too! And don’t let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby.

• Place your baby on the back to sleep (and not on the front or side).

• Do not let your baby get too hot, and keep your baby’s head uncovered.

• Place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot, to prevent them wriggling down under the covers.

• Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.

• The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months.

• It’s especially dangerous for your baby to sleep in your bed if you (or your partner): • are a smoker, even if you never smoke in bed or at home

• have been drinking alcohol

• take medication or drugs that make you drowsy

• feel very tired;

or if your baby:

• was born before 37 weeks

• weighed less than 2.5kg or 5½ lbs at birth

• is less than three months old.

• Don’t forget, accidents can happen: you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby; or your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed, or could roll out of an adult bed and be injured.

• Settling your baby to sleep (day and night) with a dummy can reduce the risk of cot death, even if the dummy falls out while your baby is asleep.

• Breastfeed your baby. Establish breastfeeding before starting to use a dummy.

[edit] Further information

For information or advice about cot death or how to reduce the risk, call the helpline on 020 7233 2090 or visit www.fsid.org.uk

The Reduce the Risk leaflet produced by the department of Health [1]