first candle.

october is sids, stillbirth, and infant loss awareness month. stillbirth is the death of an infant in-utero at 20 or more completed gestational weeks. more than 25,000 babies are still born in the u.s. each year.

it is estimated that 2/3rds of all stillbirth deaths remain unexplained.

mothers who suffer a stillbirth do not receive recognition in 39 out of 50 states. there is no certificate of birth--making these babies "invisible"--thankfully florida is not one of them.

first candle exists to promote infant health and survival during the prenatal period through 2 years of age, with programs of research, education, and advocacy, while at the same time providing compassionate grief support to all those affected by SIDS, stillbirth, or other causes of a sudden infant death.

First Candle Applauds Senator Obama for his Leadership in Introducing the Preventing Stillbirth and SUID Act of 2008

First Candle is pleased to announce its full support of the Preventing Stillbirth and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Act of 2008 which was introduced on June 17, 2008 by U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. The bill would establish a national stillbirth and SUID registry and promote prevention and risk reduction activities nationwide. First Candle, a leading health organization dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life, has served as a lead advisor to Senator Obama in crafting the bill.Each year, more than 25,000 women in the United States experience a stillbirth and approximately 4,500 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly, with most stillbirth and SUID deaths remaining unexplained. Even with such high rates, the United States does not employ a standard process for reporting and recording these deaths, making research and educational initiatives difficult at best. To address stillbirth, the Obama legislation will develop a standard definition of stillbirth; establish a national registry; and develop and enhance public education and prevention programs to impact stillbirth rates in the United States. On the SUID front, the bill supports establishing a case registry, surveillance and monitoring system; collecting standardized information related to the infant deaths and establishing a standardized classification system; supporting multidisciplinary infant death reviews; and improving public reporting of surveillance and vital statistics data. First Candle urges you to write to your Senators and encourage them to join Senator Obama by adding their name as cosponsor of this important legislation.