Help Bubs About Town Raise $1000 for SIDS & Kids

About a month ago Bubs About Town received a touching email from one of its members. It was from a Newcastle mum who, only in November last year tragically lost her beautiful little 5 ½ month old girl to SIDS. She was writing to us with the request that we have the SIDS & Kids Newcastle contact details on our website, as well as some general facts and information about SIDS. We did not hesitate in adding this to our Support Page ready for our new website launch, but we thought that this just wasn’t enough. Being relatively new parents ourselves, this story really struck a chord with us and has been in our minds ever since. We are constantly asking each other “what can we do?”

So.....we want Newcastle to help us raise at least $1000 for SIDS & Kids before Red Nose Day, which is on the 26th of this month. Visit http://www.everydayhero.com.au/bubs_about_town or click on our SIDS & Kids banner (across the top of the pages at www.bubsabouttown.com.au)

We don’t have much time, so we need your HELP! You don’t have to do anything but pledge a donation to this amazing charity. No matter how little your donation, this is a cause where every dollar really does count!

If you or your workplace are having a Red Nose Day event please take some photos and email them to us at info@bubsabouttown.com.au and we will post them on our website for all to see!

About SIDS

SIDS is the sudden and unexpected death of an infant under one year of age, with onset of the lethal episode apparently occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation including performance
of a complete autopsy, and review of the circumstances and death and the clinical history. (Krous at al 2004)

In 1988, when Red Nose Day first started, 479 Australian babies died from SIDS. With Red Nose Day income, SIDS and Kids organisations funded research and produced the SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping health promotion campaign, leading to a drop to 71 SIDS deaths in 2007.

SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping is an evidence based campaign that was developed by researchers from across Australia and internationally.

There are five main messages in the campaign to reduce the risk of SIDS and fatal sleep accidents:

1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side

2. Sleep baby with face uncovered (no doonas, pillows, lambs wool, bumpers or soft toys)

3. Avoid exposing babies to tobacco smoke before birth and after

4. Provide a safe sleeping environment (safe cot, safe mattress, safe bedding)

5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping environment next to the parent's bed for the first six to twelve months of life.

SIDS and Kids new challenge is to look at research and causes into unexplained stillbirth. While infant mortality rates have declined in Australia over the past two decades there has been no reduction in the rate of stillbirth. Stillbirths account for 70% of perinatal deaths. Over 2,000 babies are stillborn in Australia and New Zealand every year occurring at a rate of approximately 7 out of every 1000 births; approximately 6 babies each day.

It is estimated that unexplained stillbirth is now 10 times that of SIDS – 500 unexplained stillbirths each year compared to 50 SIDS deaths. The high proportion of unexplained stillbirth is a major barrier to further reduction in the rates of stillbirth. The lack of diagnosis leaves little clues for parents and care providers struggling with decisions about future pregnancies. Supporting Red Nose Day and other fundraising activities will help with this challenge.

With your help, we can help SIDS and Kids Hunter Region achieve their vision: Finding Answers ~ Healing Families.

For more information on SIDS or SIDS & Kids please go to www.sidsandkids.org