CONTACT
Information for media
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Baby Loss
‘Baby Loss’ is a term that sadly stands for the loss of a baby at any stage, from conception through to the earliest days of life. Baby Loss support can stand for anything that involves sharing experiences and providing bereavement counselling, to helping process a loss and making valued memories.
Sadly, around 14 babies die before, during or soon after birth every day in the UK. This total does not account for Miscarriage or Termination for Medical Reasons.
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Stillbirth
A stillborn baby is one who has died before birth, at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Stillbirths can happen for a number of reasons - such as the mother’s health, complications with the placenta or a birth defect - or often for no reason at all.
In the UK in 2020, 1 in every 225 births was a Stillbirth (3.8 per 1000). This figure equates to 2,638 annually; around 7 babies stillborn every day in the UK.
Approximately one third of stillbirths happen after 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Neonatal Death
Also known as newborn death, a Neonatal Death is when a baby dies within the first 28 days after birth. Causes can be many and complex, most often due to complications in the neonatal period.
In the UK in 2020, 1,719 babies died within 28 days of life. This equates to 2.8 baby deaths in every 1000 births.
The number of babies who die in the neonatal period (the first 28 days after birth) has dropped over the last decade, largely because of advances in medical knowledge and clinical care. Recently the mortality rate has plateaued.
Miscarriage
Miscarriage is when a baby dies in the uterus during pregnancy. In the UK, a miscarriage applies to pregnancies up to 23 weeks and 6 days. Any loss from 24 weeks is called a stillbirth. If a baby is born alive before 24 weeks, and lives even for a matter of minutes, that is considered a live birth and the death will be classified as a neonatal death.
Miscarriage is the most common kind of pregnancy loss and are much more common than most people realise. An estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage (1 in 5 if we only count women who realised/reported the miscarriage).
Losing 3 or more pregnancies in a row (recurrent miscarriages) is uncommon and only affects around 1 in 100 women.
An estimate 500 miscarriages occur daily within the UK.
Medical Termination or Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR)
TFMR stands for ‘terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons’. It is an utterly heart-breaking decision that some parents have to make, when a baby is diagnosed with a life-limiting medical condition in the womb.
TFMR is one of the least talked about types of pregnancy and baby loss, however it is far more common than people may think. At least 5000 TFMR's happen every year in the UK.
Contact
We have a number of people and bereaved families within The Lily Mae Foundation available for interview or to speak at seminars and events. We all speak on a wide range
of issues relating to the loss of a baby including but not exclusive to the following:
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Why babies die
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The Lily Mae Foundations’ work, aims and achievements
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Support services for parents, families, health professionals and others
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Sibling support following the loss of a baby
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Research and prevention
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Funding, fundraising and events
We can also put you in touch with key medical experts who specialise in areas associated with the loss of a baby.
If you would like to talk to one of our spokespeople, please contact Ryan Jackson or Amy Jackson:
e. ryan.jackson@lilymaefoundation.org | m. 07853 969073
e. amy.jackson@lilymaefoundation.org | m. 07853 914849