SANDS WHY 17? CAMPAIGN

That this House congratulates Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, on the parliamentary launch of the Why 17? campaign; welcomes the publication of the Sands Saving Babies Lives Report 2009; notes that every day in the UK an average of 10 babies are stillborn and seven more die shortly after their birth, which is 17 babies dying every day; is concerned that rates of stillbirth in the UK are at unacceptably high levels and have barely changed in the last 10 years; recognises that with better care and targeted research many of these deaths could potentially be avoided; and calls on the Government to develop a national strategy for reducing levels of stillbirth and neonatal deaths, to fund further research to improve understanding of why stillbirths and neonatal deaths happen, to develop gold standard antenatal care provision in all trusts and to work with the charity to improve public awareness of the issues.