SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) is a national charity in the UK providing free support to bereaved parents. Every year, the charity has an awareness month, and this year it is in June.
SANDS awareness month 2023 – what is it?
The awareness month is aimed at raising awareness of the facts and impact of neonatal death and stillbirth, focusing on the fact that the loss of a child in pregnancy or childbirth affects parents for life and the wider public is often unaware of the impact of such a tragic loss.
Unfortunately, the death of a baby is not as rare as you might think. In the UK alone, around 13 babies die each day before, during, or soon after birth. In reality, this means that nearly every two hours, a family is faced with the tragic and devastating loss of their baby.
However, thanks in no small part to the hard work and dedication of charities, like SANDS, the statistics show that, following decades of stagnation, the UK’s stillbirth rate is falling, with a downward trend sustained over a number of years.
Whilst this is good news, the statistics are not so positive for neonatal deaths, and the rates have stayed steady since 2012.
According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2021, the neonatal mortality rate (aged under 28 days) was 2.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in England and Wales; this rate has remained stable since 2016. It is therefore vital that work continues to see the figures for neonatal deaths also start to decline.
What does SANDS charity aim to do?
SAND’s aim is to reduce the number of babies dying and to ensure that anyone affected by the death of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need.
Working in partnership with health care professionals, hospital trusts, and health boards, SANDS has worked with bereaved parents for more than 40 years, helping them to process their loss and navigate life without their babies, providing a safe and supportive space to grieve and commemorate their babies, and also working with the NHS to provide bereavement care. SANDS also works to campaign to save babies’ lives.
They believe that research can save babies’ lives and improve the care and support for families. Investment into research will be key to increasing knowledge, improving care, and maintaining the political will to reduce perinatal mortality.
How to get involved with SANDS awareness month?
There are many ways to get involved and help raise awareness:
- The awareness month offers vital fundraising opportunities to ensure money is raised to provide support for parents, for example, walk 90k in June, 100 days steps challenge, bake sales, etc.
- This year’s awareness month is using orange and blue bunting and lights to highlight events and organisations, individuals can take part by displaying posters, posting on social media, and raising awareness for the events taking place. The charity is also encouraging people to use the hashtag #WeAreSands
- Donate to the charity as it relies on donations and volunteers to be able to provide free support to bereaved parents and to offer individual and group support sessions. To find out more about what they do, how to access their support, and work with them to help fundraise see here.
How can Nelsons help?
Danielle Young is a Legal Director in our Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
Sadly, at Nelsons, we often see families who are dealing with the loss of their baby either during pregnancy or childbirth with concerns that this might have been caused as a result of negligent medical treatment.
We have a team of experts with particular expertise in neonatal and stillbirth claims. We have helped many families dealing with the loss of their babies.
Our dedicated solicitors know how the loss of a baby can affect families’ lives and have extensive experience in managing complex cases.
Medical negligence claims are particularly complex due to the scientific issues involved, so it is vital to use specialist medical negligence solicitors who understand both legal and medical issues.
Our team prides itself on our friendly, sensitive, and professional service and we are always happy to discuss the circumstances of your potential claim either over the phone, via email, or at a meeting.
If you have any questions or require some advice, please get in touch with Danielle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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