Parents who have suffered a sudden and unexpected death of a baby often feel anxious when they have another baby.  FSID has set up the Care of the Next Infant (CONI) programme to help parents work through some of their fears. CONI is run in hospitals and community health centres and involves midwives, paediatricians, GPs and health visitors. 

Through CONI, parents can:  

• receive weekly home visits by their health visitor, so they can talk freely about any worries and seek advice 
• keep a symptom diary to record their baby’s health, which they can then discuss with their health visitor
• monitor their baby's growth with a weight chart and weighing scales, to detect changes quickly 
• borrow apnoea (breathing) monitors which pick up movements as the baby breathes and will ring an alarm if movements stop for longer than 20 seconds 
• receive a room thermometer and guidance on bedding and clothing 

Tracey, from South London, enrolled her baby on the CONI programme, and said: 
    
"Following the death of Joe, when I fell pregnant with Alfie I was obviously delighted, but extremely anxious.  The CONI scheme was a tremendous support.  I couldn't have coped without it". 

CONI PLUS offers similar help to other families who may have special reason to be anxious about their baby.  They may, for example:

• be close relatives of a baby that has died a cot death
• have lost a baby to causes other than cot death
• have a baby who has experienced an apparent life threatening event

CONI is currently available in 194 centres in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and CONI PLUS is available in 86 centres.

For further details contact FSID on  020 7233 2090 or  email helpline@fsid.org.uk

Photo: Jackie Burton, Wigan, whose two children were supported by CONI.
Thanks to the Lancashire Evening Post for reproduction permission.