Red Nose Day – let’s get silly for a good cause

Red Nose Day – get silly for a serious cause!

Red Nose Day is known as that one day a year when we put on a red nose and ‘get silly for a serious cause’. But do we truly understand the significance behind the cause?

Red Nose Day is celebrated on the 11th of August each year, and was originally established to raise awareness and fund for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) research.

Because of Red Nose Day,  an evidence-based safe sleep program was developed and other resources that parents, carers and health professionals can implement to reduce the risk of babies dying in their sleep, which is estimated to have saved over 12,000 little lives.

What is SIDs?

SIDS is defined as the sudden and unexplained death of infants under one year of age that occurs during sleep and remains a mystery even after investigation.

Red Nose Day focuses on SIDS and stillbirth research, providing assistance to families impacted by SIDS, stillbirth, SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy), miscarriage, and other related challenges.

This evidence-based campaign emphasises safe baby sleeping practices, including six crucial steps for parents to minimise the chances of infant sleep-related incidents:

1. Placing the baby on their back to sleep to ensure a clear airway and trigger protective reflexes.
2. Keeping the baby’s face and head uncovered during sleep to prevent overheating.
3. Providing a smoke-free environment for the baby before and after birth to reduce the risk of sudden infant death.
4. Creating a safe sleeping environment with a firm mattress and appropriate bedding.
5. Encouraging parents to share a room with the baby for the first 6-12 months to lower the risk of sudden infant death.
6. Encouraging breastfeeding, as it has been associated with reducing the risk of sudden infant death.

Despite these efforts, more than 3,000 infants still pass away unexpectedly each year in Australia due to causes such as stillbirth, SIDS, and other unforeseen circumstances.

Participating in Red Nose Day fundraising events, and rallying support from family, friends, and colleagues, helps finance the Red Nose 24/7 support service for grieving families and educational programs for new parents. This funding also supports ongoing research to identify the causes of SIDS and stillbirth, aiming to implement preventive measures to avoid such heartbreaking losses.

Our Midwife and Educator, Carmen Whitehouse, elaborates on the importance of safe sleeping practices in this video.

To learn more about SIDS or Red Nose Day, visit their website here.