Expectant mums at the Royal Stoke will now be given life-saving advice on CPR and safe sleep for babies as part of a new campaign.

Parents and carers attending antenatal appointments will receive leaflets explaining how to check a baby's response, start CPR in an emergency, and make sure their child has a safe sleep environment.

The campaign has been launched with support from Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) to mark World Patient Safety Day.

Sarah Jamieson, director of midwifery at UHNM, said: "Providing families with clear, practical information is central to safe maternity care. This new guide gives parents and carers the confidence to act in an emergency and the reassurance of knowing how to create a safe sleep environment for their baby.

The campaign has been launched by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Stoke. (LDRS)

"By working together with our partners across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, we can help prevent avoidable tragedies and give every child the safest possible start in life." 

Every year around 200 babies in the UK die suddenly and unexpectedly, with most cases happening in the first six months of life. Premature babies and those with a low birthweight are most at risk.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome usually occurs when a baby is asleep, although it can occasionally happen while they're awake.

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The information is supported by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Child Death Overview Panel and links to Rowan's Rule, a campaign started by a local family after their baby boy tragically stopped breathing at home.