April 18-21, 2013 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Early bird registration ends March 15!
First Candle has become aware of amendments to bills related to infant deaths currently being considered by congressional leaders in Florida. These proposed changes represent a significant step backward in regard to compassionately investigating and diagnosing SIDS and other causes of sudden, unexpected infant deaths.
If these amendments are passed, parents experiencing the sudden death of a precious baby would be considered criminals first, with child protective services being brought in as a routine part of a criminal, rather than forensic, investigation.
THE FLORIDA SIDS ALLIANCE ASKS THAT YOU WRITE/CALL/VISIT IMMEDIATELY!
It will take only a minute . . . Florida families are counting on your support.
Allison Glover is First Candle’s Bereavement Counselor. Read her February Counselor’s Corner column for poignant words of support for grieving families.
First Candle, in cooperation with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), is pleased to announce the Safe to Sleep campaign, an expansion of the highly successful Back to Sleep campaign, developed to further educate the public on safe infant sleep practices based on the most recent recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sadly, unsafe sleep practices continue to claim the lives of thousands of precious babies every year.
Will you consider volunteering as a “Safe Sleep Champion” in your local community? Volunteers will be asked to attend a one-hour online webinar (see below) to equip them with the safe sleep messaging and then conduct at least two outreach events or activities to educate the media or their local community on the importance of safe sleep in preventing infant deaths.
If you are interested, please respond to laura@firstcandle.org or 313-268-5298
The deadline for applications is TODAY, February 19!
Please share this with anyone you think may be interested in helping spread the safe sleep message and saving babies’ lives!
Approximately 3 million babies are stillborneach year throughout the world. In the U.S., that’s one baby, one family, every 21 minutes. In partnership with parents who have experienced a stillbirth, our friends at the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS) created a video called Born in Silence, with the goal of breaking the silence around this all-too-common tragedy.View the video at http://gapps.org/index.php/advocacy/making_a_difference/break_the_silence_video/.
First Candle is once again encouraging parents, grandparents and other infant/child caregivers to participate in this year’s ‘Great Trade-In’ event, urging customers to trade-in any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards, high chairs, walkers, swings, bouncers, entertainers or toddler beds in exchange for a 25% savings on the purchase of any new baby item, in any of these product categories, from participating manufacturers.
The 2013 Great Trade-In event will take place in Babies“R”Us® and Toys“R”Us® stores nationwide from Friday, January 18 through Sunday, February 10.
The “Great Trade-In” event is a national safety program designed to draw attention to the fact that certain used baby products, like cribs and car seats, can carry potential hazards, but are still in circulation and are not the best candidates to be handed down or resold. Beyond recalls, certain older and used baby items can be potentially unsafe for a variety of reasons, including damage or lack of compliance with recent advances in product safety standards.
Since introducing the “Great Trade-In” event in September 2009, approximately 900,000 potentially unsafe cribs, car seats and other baby products – most of which were in extremely poor condition – have been turned in at “R” Us stores across the country.
Customers can visit their local Babies“R”Us or Toys“R”Us store to trade-in used cribs or baby products. Day care centers or other organizations that wish to exchange items in bulk are encouraged to contact their local Babies“R”Us or Toys“R”Us store prior to returning their used items to ensure adequate availability of new merchandise.
For additional information, please visit Babiesrus.com/trade-in.
Additional information on Toys“R”Us, Inc. safety initiatives, tips to keep kids safe and to sign up to receive e-mail notifications about product recalls, you can visit Toysrus.com/Safety.
ASAP is a coalition being developed to bring together individuals, medical professionals, associations and others interested in stillbirth to support the creation of a unified, focused national public awareness and education campaign. In the United States alone, nearly 26,000 babies are stillborn each year. Their parents’ hopes and dreams for their family are shattered, often times without warning or explanation.
It is time that this “stillbirth epidemic” is recognized and addressed. Your show of support will provide compelling evidence to policy makers, government agencies and other funders that a comprehensive, multi-year awareness campaign is long overdue.
Please show your support by registering and answering a few questions.
Background
Each year in the United States nearly 26,000 babies are stillborn, Most of these babies are of viable gestational age and for many the cause is never known.
Stillbirth risk factors, causes and potential preventive strategies have not been studied until rather recently. Many, including some health care providers, have commonly assumed that stillbirth can’t be predicted or avoided. However, there are a number of things that can be done to reduce the risk and we are learning more each year. Awareness and education for both the pregnant mothers and health care providers is critical in both prevention and bereavement support.
Up until this time, many well-meaning, well- educated parent advocacy organizations have launched independent efforts to bring attention to the issues. They have designed educational brochures, visited physician offices, launched websites, helped author legislation, demanded certificates recognizing the births, and pleaded for research and attention from federal agencies that embrace maternal and infant health issues. But this fragmented approach to stillbirth has been inefficient and often ineffective. We believe that it is time for change….
On the heels of the 2012 International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS and Infant Survival, the publication of the Lancet series on Stillbirth, and the 2011 International Stillbirth Summit, parents and their families are adamant that attention be given to “the stillbirth epidemic”. The time has come for a comprehensive, multi-year national campaign for stillbirth awareness and education, spearheaded by a coalition of organizations and individuals. Key goals of the campaign will be to:
Can we count on your support? By registering and answering a few short questions you will be honoring babies who never take their first breath and families who cannot adequately advocate for their baby on their own. By joining forces and working together, we can decrease the numbers of babies who die during pregnancy.
Please pass this invitation on to others you know who would consider joining in this effort.
We thank you for your consideration and concern.
If you have questions, please contact us at: info@starlegacyfoundation or 952-715-7731.
Interim Co-Chairs:
Shauna Lisback, Star Legacy Foundation
Marian Sokol, PhD, MPH, First Candle
Initial Organizing Groups:
1st Breath
Babies Remembered
First Candle
Star Legacy Foundation
Results will inform future research efforts to develop preventive strategies for late-term stillbirth
First Candle today announced its endorsement of a groundbreaking research study designed to identify risk factors for stillbirth. The Study of Trends and Associated Risk Factors for Stillbirth (STARS) study will confidentially collect information from mothers who have experienced a stillbirth, as well as mothers who have delivered living children, to identify differences in their prenatal experiences and observations. The goal of STARS will be to provide information that will direct future stillbirth research to develop preventive strategies.
Stillbirth claims the lives of nearly 26,000 babies in the United States each year. Worldwide, that statistic is 2.6 million. Approximately half of these deaths are after 28 weeks gestation (late-term stillbirth), devastating families and leaving them with more questions than answers. Sadly, stillbirth rates have not decreased much in recent years and very little research is being done to understand the risk factors.
The STARS study will be recruiting mothers of infants stillborn, live-born or soon-to-be-born, to take a confidential survey. While acknowledging the pain of any pregnancy loss, this study will focus on late-term stillbirth (greater than 28 weeks gestation). The study is looking for participants who:
In addition to endorsing the STARS study, First Candle is recruiting supporters and participants for ASAP (Action for Stillbirth Awareness and Prevention), a coalition being developed to bring together individuals, medical professionals, associations and others interested in stillbirth to support the creation of a unified, focused national public awareness and education campaign.
Anyone who is interested in joining or supporting this effort, please register and answer a few short questions.
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First Candle is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies during the first years of life. With programs of research, education and advocacy, we are working to prevent stillbirth, SIDS and other causes of sudden infant death (SUID). At the same time, we provide compassionate grief support to all those affected by the death of a baby through a dedicated crisis hotline at 800.221.7437. For more information, visit www.firstcandle.org or call 410.653.8226.
The Star Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Eden Prairie, MN, dedicated to stillbirth research, education and prevention. University of Michigan # HUM63655.
Subscribe and start shopping today . . . it’s free and takes 30 seconds!
First Candle is excited to announce a new partnership with Recoup, a website offering discounted promotions for all sorts of fun and useful products and services – even travel! What sets Recoup apart from other deals-based sites is that 10 percent of purchases automatically go to the non-profit of your choice. There are two simple ways to help First Candle raise funds through Recoup:
Use Recoup as your year-round shopping “go-to” site!
Sample Recoup Offers:
recoup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2012
Release #13-058
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Five Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC to Sue Manufacturer of Nap Nanny and Chill Infant Recliners
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to prevent children from suffering further harm, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff filed an administrative complaint today against Baby Matters, LLC, of Berwyn, Pa., the manufacturer of Nap Nanny(r) and Nap Nanny Chill(tm) infant recliners.
The complaint alleges that the Nap Nanny Generation One and Two, and Chill model infant recliners contain defects in the design, warnings and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to infants. The Commission voted 3-0 to approve the filing of the complaint, which seeks an order requiring that the firm notify the public of the defect and offer consumers a full refund.
CPSC is aware of four infants who died in Nap Nanny Generation Two recliners and a fifth death involved the Chill model. To date, CPSC has received a total of over 70 additional incident reports of children nearly falling out of the product. The staff alleges that the products create a substantial risk of injury to the public.
CPSC staff filed the administrative complaint against Baby Matters, LLC after discussions with the company and its representatives failed to result in an adequate voluntary recall plan that would address the hazard posed by consumer use of the product in a crib or without the harness straps being securely fastened.
In July 2010, CPSC and Baby Matters, LLC issued a joint recall news release to announce an $80 coupon to Generation One owners toward the purchase of a newer model and improved instructions and warnings to consumers who owned the Generation Two model of Nap Nanny recliners.
Nap Nanny Generation Two model
At the time of the July 2010 recall, CPSC was aware of one death that had occurred in a Nap Nanny recliner and 22 reports of infants hanging or falling out over the side of the Nap Nanny even though most of the infants had been placed in the harness. Subsequently, despite the improvements to the warnings and instructions, the complaint alleges that additional deaths using Nap Nanny recliners have been reported, including one in a Chill model.
The Nap Nanny is a portable infant recliner designed for sleeping, resting and playing. The recliner includes a shaped foam base with an inclined indentation for the baby to sit and a fitted fabric cover with a three point harness. Five thousand Nap Nanny Generation One and 50,000 Generation Two models were sold between 2009 and early 2012 and have been discontinued. One hundred thousand Chill models have been sold since January 2011. All were priced around $130.
Commissioner Statement: Statement of Commissioner Nancy Nord is available at the web site below.
To see this release on CPSC’s web site, including associated pictures and links, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/
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Visit our blog, OnSafety at www.cpsc.gov/onsafety See our videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/uscpsc Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OnSafety See our photos on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children.
The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of
deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit www.saferproducts.gov, or contact CPSC’s Hotline at info@cpsc.gov, (800)638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/
© Copyright 2013 First Candle
