Count The Kicks

PRESS RELEASE

1st September 2011

COUNT THE KICKS™ 
2012 Celebrating “BEAUTIFUL BUMPS” Calandar
Raising Awareness of The Risk of Stillbirth

The Stillbirth charity COUNT THE KICKS™ has launched a 2012 Calendar to celebrate pregnancy and help raise much needed funds to increase awareness of the risks faced in pregnancy in an attempt to reduce infant deaths in the UK. A staggering 6’500 stillbirths and neonatal deaths occur in the UK each year. These rates are among the highest in Europe, that’s 17 deaths everyday, 60% of these deaths are known to be avoidable. 70% of these deaths are classed as unexplained.

Following a perfectly healthy and normal pregnancy in November 2009 the charities founder Sophia Mason called her maternity ward to report her baby’s lack of movement. Her baby Chloe was delivered Stillborn by emergency Caesarean Section on 27th November 3 days before her due date, her Umbilical Cord was wrapped tightly around her neck twice,the cause of her death was officially registered as unexplained.

In the months following Chloe’s death Sophia, 33 from Guildford, set up the charity COUNT THE KICKS™ to try to raise awareness of the risks in the later stages of pregnancy and the staggering statistics the UK boasts. In the hope that she could try to prevent other parents living through the nightmare she now has to live with.

60% of infant deaths are avoidable

“I believe Chloe’s death was preventable, had I been aware of the risks we face in the later stages of pregnancy and just how many babies are lost each year. I would most certainly have called for help far sooner. I knew about the risk of Miscarriage earlier on but once we had reached our 20 week scan we thought we were safe. We attended a course of private Antenatal classes to try to learn as much as I could to ensure our baby arrived safely, I subscribed to magazines and joined website forums, but was never told of the risks we faced or even the importance of my baby’s movements. I am a well educated intelligent woman and can’t believe I did not realise something as simple as reporting my baby’s reduced movements. No one ever thinks it will happen to them, but it does happen.”

The stillbirth rate in the UK has not changed in over 10 years, “Awareness bares a huge impact in the prevention of deaths in all health risks, and it is just so frustrating that there is such a taboo surrounding the death of a baby.”

Stillbirths can easily be prevented by recognising a change in regular fetal movements.  Also by recognising and diagnosing common conditions such as Gestational Diabetes, Pre-Eclampsia and Strep B. Many stillbirths are also caused by Placental Failure in pregnancies lasting longer than the normal 40 week gestation and a change in baby’s movements is sometimes the only indication of a problem.

The COUNT THE KICKS™ 2012 Celebrating “Beautiful Bumps” Calendar  is available for pre-order from their website www.countthekicks.org.uk for £9.50 each plus P&P