PRESS RELEASE
9 March 2009

MALCOLM MOSS MP PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR THE SANDS CHARITY CAMPAIGN

WHY DO 17 BABIES DIE EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THE UK?

North East Cambridgeshire MP, Malcolm Moss has attended a special parliamentary reception to launch the Why 17? campaign, which asks the question, ‘Why do 17 babies die every single day in the UK?’

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, held the reception at the House of Commons on 4^th March 2009, to raise awareness of the fact that every hour and half in the UK a baby is stillborn or dies shortly after birth. That’s 17 babies every day (10 are stillbirths, 7 are neonatal deaths) totalling almost 6,500 baby deaths a year. There are strong indications that significant numbers of these 17 deaths could be avoided and babies’ lives saved.

Mr Moss said “I was shocked to discover that there are 6,500 stillbirth and neonatal deaths every year in the UK, and that many families in my local constituency will have experienced the tragic loss of a baby in this way. I am fully committed to supporting Sands in their call for action now to make a difference so more lives can be saved in the future.”

Neal Long, Chief Executive, Sands: “For too long these deaths have been ignored and yet here is compelling evidence to suggest that many babies’ lives could be saved with better antenatal care, increased funding for maternity services, more midwives and increased funding for research. We want to see action now to save babies’ lives.”

The Saving Babies’ Lives Report 2009 has been developed to support Sands’ Why17? campaign (launched in June 2008) to increase awareness of baby deaths and raise funds for research to answer the question ‘Why do 17 babies die every single day in the UK?’

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