17/10/2022
“I did it with my kids and they turned out fine!”
*internally screams*
Joking…(kind of 😅) but in all seriousness, the child and infant mortality rate has fallen over 68% since the 1980’s…so things have changed, but for the better of those little ones 👶🏻
Those “Good Old Days” ... When people smoked during pregnancy, there were no car seats, drinking dark ale during pregnancy was advised, nobody made a fuss about baby’s movements, babies were put to sleep on their front, people used cot bumpers.
We all have a friend or family member who did some or all these things and were “fine”
But what about those that weren’t?
When we talk about making things safer we are not saying EVERYONE who does these things will die. But the risk is higher, and is it a risk worth taking?
The more we have become aware of risks the lower the number of babies and children that have been dying. For every person who did these things and “was fine” there will be someone who did these things and suffered the worst consequences.
If research and statistics tell us something isn’t safe, the best thing to do is follow that advice. Not take the actions of one person doing it without consequence as a sign it is safe.
This graph shows the massive impact these health and safety measures have made. And the number of families who have been saved the heartache of getting to the one time they can no longer say “it was fine”
Our advice, and that of charities such as The Lullaby Trust and Tommy's is based on research - and we highlight it to ensure the safety of more mothers and babies.
www.kickscount.org.uk
