The cot death charity, The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), today launched the UK’s first social networking site for teenage parents.

Latest figures show that mums under 20 are over four times more likely to have a baby die as a cot death than older mothers*.

The new site, www.bubbalicious.co.uk, offers support and safe sleep tips for both mums and young dads.

Users can chat, win prizes, upload 50 photos and take part in a four-level baby-care challenge. If successful, they are awarded the title of Top Dad or Big Sister which allows them to give advice to other parents on the site.

FSID’s director, Joyce Epstein, said, "Sadly, the latest research shows that teenage mums have the highest rate of cot death, but we think that many are missing out on safe sleep advice.

We developed bubbalicious after consulting with young parents across the country, and we really hope that the support available on the site will help improve the life chances of the UK’s most vulnerable babies."

*Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics published on 26 August 2009: Rate of deaths per 1000 live births for mothers under 20 years of age in England and Wales: 1.12. For mothers over 24 years: 0.25.

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths is the UK’s leading baby charity working to prevent sudden deaths and promote infant health. FSID funds research (nearly £10 million to date), supports bereaved families, promotes baby care advice, and works to improve investigations when a baby dies.

FSID has a freephone helpline for parents and professionals seeking advice on safe baby care 0808 802 6868

The helpline also supports bereaved families. Advice for parents and professionals can also be found at www.fsid.org.uk

- Cut smoking in pregnancy – fathers too! And don’t let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby.

- Place your baby on the back to sleep (and not on the front or side).

- Do not let your baby get too hot, and keep your baby’s head uncovered.

- Place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot, to prevent them wriggling down under the covers or use a baby sleep bag

- Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.

- The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months. - It’s especially dangerous for your baby to sleep in your bed if you (or your partner):

- are a smoker, even if you never smoke in bed or at home

- have been drinking alcohol

- take medication or drugs that make you drowsy

- feel very tired; or if your baby:

- was born before 37 weeks

- weighed less than 2.5kg or 5? lbs at birth

- Don’t forget, accidents can happen: you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby; or your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed, or could roll out of an adult bed and be injured.

- Settling your baby to sleep (day and night) with a dummy can reduce the risk of cot death, even if the dummy falls out while your baby is asleep.

- Breastfeed your baby. Establish breastfeeding before starting to use a dummy.


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		New networking site for teenage parents The cot death charity, The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), today launched the UK’s first social networking site for teenage parents. Latest figures show that mums under 20 are over four times more likely to have a baby die as a cot death than older mothers. The new site, www.bubbalicious.co.uk, offers support and safe sleep tips for both mums and young dads. Users can chat, win prizes, upload 50 photos and take part in a four-level baby-care challenge. If successful, they are awarded the title of Top Dad or Big Sister which allows them to give advice to other parents on the site. FSID’s director, Joyce Epstein, said, "Sadly, the latest research shows that teenage mums have the highest rate of cot death, but we think that many are missing out on safe sleep advice. We developed bubbalicious after consulting with young parents across the country, and we really hope that the support available on the site will help improve the life chances of the UK’s most vulnerable babies." Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics published on 26 August 2009: Rate of deaths per 1000 live births for mothers under 20 years of age in England and Wales: 1.12. For mothers over 24 years: 0.25. About FSID The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths is the UK’s leading baby charity working to prevent sudden deaths and promote infant health. FSID funds research (nearly £10 million to date), supports bereaved families, promotes baby care advice, and works to improve investigations when a baby dies. FSID has a freephone helpline for parents and professionals seeking advice on safe baby care 0808 802 6868 The helpline also supports bereaved families. Advice for parents and professionals can also be found at www.fsid.org.uk Advice for parents to reduce the risk of cot death: - Cut smoking in pregnancy – fathers too! And don’t let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby. - Place your baby on the back to sleep (and not on the front or side). - Do not let your baby get too hot, and keep your baby’s head uncovered. - Place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot, to prevent them wriggling down under the covers or use a baby sleep bag - Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. - The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months. - It’s especially dangerous for your baby to sleep in your bed if you (or your partner): - are a smoker, even if you never smoke in bed or at home - have been drinking alcohol - take medication or drugs that make you drowsy - feel very tired; or if your baby: - was born before 37 weeks - weighed less than 2.5kg or 5? lbs at birth - Don’t forget, accidents can happen: you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby; or your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed, or could roll out of an adult bed and be injured. - Settling your baby to sleep (day and night) with a dummy can reduce the risk of cot death, even if the dummy falls out while your baby is asleep. - Breastfeed your baby. Establish breastfeeding before starting to use a dummy.
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