No abstract

Despite the success of safe sleep campaigns and the progress in understanding risk factors, the rate of reduction in the cases of sudden infant death syndrome has now slowed and it remains a leading cause of postneonatal mortality in many developed countries. Strategic action is needed to tackle this problem and it is now vital to identify how the sudden infant death research community may best target its efforts. The Global Action and Prioritization of Sudden Infant Death Project was an international consensus process that aimed to define and direct future research by investigating the priorities of expert and lay members of the sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) community across countries. The aim was to identify which areas of research should be prioritized to reduce the number of SUID deaths globally. Scientific researchers, clinicians, counselors, educators, and SUID parents from 25 countries took part across 2 online surveys to identify potential research priorities. Workshops subsequently took place in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia to reach consensus and 10 priority areas for research were established. Three main themes among the priorities emerged: (1) a better understanding of mechanisms underlying SUID, (2) ensuring best practice in data collection, management and sharing, and (3) a better understanding of target populations and more effective communication of risk. SUID is a global problem and this project provides the international SUID community with a list of shared research priorities to more effectively work toward explaining and reducing the number of sudden infant deaths.

Every year in the UK, around 300 apparently healthy babies will die suddenly and unexpectedly ( Office for National Statistics, 2013 ). Although it is still not known how to prevent these deaths, there are practical steps that parents can take to reduce their baby's risk. Health visitors play a pivotal role in the delivery of ‘safer sleep’ advice to new parents. Families bereaved through sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are often left feeling isolated and searching for answers; specialist services can provide the necessary and appropriate support at this time. This article gives an overview of evidence-based recommendations that can help to save more lives, and looks at the health visitor's role in supporting parents who have lost a child.