The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) is a charitable organisation

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 aiming to prevent unexpected deaths in infancy and promote infant health. FSID fulfils these aims by:

• funding research
• supporting families whose babies have died suddenly and unexpectedly
• disseminating information on infant health, baby care and sudden infant deaths to health professionals and the general public, and
• working with professionals to improve investigations when a baby dies.

Services offered by FSID

• Helpline for parents, carers and health professionals and bereaved families.
• A wide range of publications and resources on reducing the risk of cot death
  Sudden infant death syndrome
  Sudden infant death syndrome is marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by medical history, and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation. An infant is at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep, which is why it is sometimes...
  
   and safe baby care, available from the website www.fsid.org.uk
• A network of trained befriender
  Befriender
  Befrienders are carefully selected volunteers, from a variety of organisations and mental health charities, who are trained to provide support and companionship to lonely, or emotionally distressed, people. Befrienders will usually visit for an hour or so per week. The meeting is usually arranged...
  
  s to support bereaved families
• A phone card
  Telephone card
  A telephone card, calling card or phone card for short, is a small plastic card, sized and shaped like a credit card, used to pay for telephone services. It is not necessary to have the physical card except with a stored-value system; knowledge of the access telephone number to dial and the PIN is...
  
   to enable bereaved parents to call our Helpline free of charge
• A busy programme of training, events and Family Days Out throughout the UK
• The Care of Next Infant (CONI) Scheme, with the NHS, to support bereaved families when they have subsequent babies.

FSID operates throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. As well as the team in head office there are also eight Regional Development Officers who actively promote FSID's campaigns across the country.

History of the Foundation

Over a third of a century ago – in 1971 – a meeting was convened in Cambridge as a result of one grandmother's search to find out why her baby grandson had died suddenly and unexpectedly. This gathering led to the founding of the world's first organisation devoted to research, information and support in the field of infant deaths.

Since FSID teamed up with the Department of Heath to launch the campaign to reduce the risk of cot death in 1991, the UK cot death rate has fallen by 75%, and has been hailed one of the most successful public health

Public health

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...

 campaigns ever, estimated to have saved more than 20,000 lives.

FSID has gone on to become one of the world's leading authorities on cot death, the UK's largest funder of medical research into sudden infant death, the main source of support for bereaved families and a major information provider.

External links

• Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths
• Reduce the Risk leaflet produced by the Department of Health