Still Births and Neonatal Deaths - why17? (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
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Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Still Births and Neonatal Deaths - why17?

June 26, 2009 12:00 AM
By Kirsty Williams AM in Mid Wales Journal Friday 26th June 2009

Kirsty at the SANDS event with local constituents Carolyn Jenkins, Shirley Gittoes, Kirsty, Liz Hulin-Taylor and Debbie Hulin

One of the most poignant moments I have experienced in the Assembly came at the recent Still Births and Neonatal Deaths (Sands) reception, where Sands Welsh Network Convenor Shirley Gittoes, of Llandrindod Wells, talked of the pain and devastation she, her husband and family had suffered at the loss of their stillborn daughter Heulwen. As Shirley spoke bravely and passionately about the emotionally and physically harrowing experience, no one in the room could not have felt sadness for what must be the worst experience any parent can go through, the loss of a child. The stillbirth or neonatal death of a baby is no less a death than the death of any other child and it must not be treated as such. Since supporting the campaign I have been amazed by the number of people who have been affected by stillbirths and neonatal deaths, but who have not previously talked about it. I have been surprised by the number of friends and colleagues who have either suffered a loss directly or whose family have had a tragic experience. I cannot begin to imagine what a devastating thing it is to go through and it is time that we acknowledge this as a society and start to address both the grief that a loss brings and to tackle the causes of this significant occurrence.

The Sands Why17? campaign asks the question, 'Why do 17 babies die every single day in the UK?' In Wales every other day a baby is stillborn and a further 2 babies die shortly after birth every week, this is a total of nearly 300 babies dying every year in Wales. This number is ten times the number of cot deaths, yet whilst numbers of cot deaths have drastically reduced in recent years, over the past 12 years there has been no significant improvement in stillbirth rates in Wales.

The Why17 campaign in Wales has been growing momentum in recent weeks, with a 7 day marathon journey across Wales through Wrexham, Glan Clwyd, Llandrindod Wells and Brecon, where I joined them; raising funds and awareness for the cause, culminating in the launch of the Saving Babies' Lives Report, 2009 and the handover of a 700-strong petition at the Assembly.

The campaign shows that we desperately need a co-ordinated, national strategy to tackle stillbirths and neonatal deaths. The aim is to make sure that still births and neonatal deaths are recognised as a major health issue in Wales. With better care and targeted research many of these deaths could potentially be avoided. I know that the reception and Shirley's speech left each and every parent, professional and AM in the room in a state of stunned sorrow but I hope that it will also have given them the drive to push the campaign forward and save these babies' lives and to ensure that parents such as Shirley do not suffer the indescribable pain of loosing a young baby. These improvements can be made and I very much hope that the Welsh Government will listen to the campaign and make them happen.

To find out more about Sands Why17? campaign and the Saving Babies' Lives Report 2009 please go to www.uk-sands.org