Hansard

First, I thank you, Presiding Officer, for agreeing to the request to bring forward this members’ debate from this evening to this afternoon. That has allowed a number of the Sudden Cot Death Trust’s trustees to attend. Members will be aware that we have a late decision time at 8 o’clock, so I am very grateful that the debate was allowed to happen, particularly on this day. I also thank those colleagues who signed the motion and helped to secure the debate.

As a parent and a grandfather, I can think of nothing more difficult to imagine or in any way comprehend than the devastation that must happen when a baby has passed away. For that to happen at all would be hard enough for any parent and family to withstand, but not to know the reason for the loss is beyond all natural senses. Therefore, it is with some comfort, relief and respect that we have people who understand the gravity of such a horrendous human experience and who aim to help in a number of ways.

First, those people know that considerable support is needed for parents, siblings and extended family members when such tragedies strike. Secondly, they recognise that action is needed to fund medical research in the hope that the cause of the tragedies can be identified. With the available information, campaigns are launched to educate and inform those who care for babies and young children with a view to reducing the number of people who experience this particular horror.

How does that valuable work come about? For 30 years, the Scottish Cot Death Trust has been in the vanguard of doing that very work on our nation’s behalf. A group of individuals volunteering to do what must be the most difficult matter possible: counselling parents who have just lost their baby—many of whom, as a starting point, blame themselves for the death of their child—to the syndrome known as cot death.

The dedicated people of the Scottish Cot Death Trust ask for little in return from the Scottish Government or this Parliament, other than help to bring the issue to the wider public’s attention and to bring together those agencies that respond in the most appropriate way whenever a tragedy strikes.

When I was asked to lodge the motion in the hope of securing cross-party support and holding a debate, it was the very least I could do. Indeed, members in this Parliament appreciate greatly the need to give time to highlight the sterling work of the charity and to raise awareness of the counselling and support available for those in need. I hope that this debate will draw attention to some of the dangers for new parents, even if they already have children, which will go to reducing the numbers of babies and young children being lost to cot death.

The most important part of the trust’s work is how it helps to prevent cot death in the first place by funding research and highlighting ways in which parents can help to reduce the associated risks that increase sudden unexpected death in infancy. Alternatively, is it the counselling of families who have suffered such a terrible loss? It is, of course, both. Although the education and information that is provided will lead to a reduction in cot death, and I know that the trust is working towards zero tolerance of cot death, I fear that some families will need its help for some time to come.

In the 30 years since the trust was established, it has had an important, vital and wide-ranging impact. It has brought about a different approach from the authorities and, of course, the press, which now has some sympathy and a much better understanding of the truth than it ever had before.

Cot deaths occur in every part of Scotland and affect every section of society. Although they occur more frequently in deprived areas, more affluent areas are not safe from the heartache. Most cot deaths occur within the first year of life but they can also occur in older children; cot death can happen wherever an infant is sleeping.

In the early 1990s, the back to sleep campaign was the single most significant awareness-raising campaign ever implemented, and the Scottish Cot Death Trust was instrumental in ensuring its implementation across Scotland. The campaign aimed to educate all parents and carers that they should place babies on their backs for sleeping, rather than on their fronts as had been the previous advice. It resulted in an immediate decline in the number of cases of cot death and it continues to be one of the most important pieces of advice for parents. However, a common misconception is held today that cot death has been completely eradicated in Scotland, so the work continues.

The motion debated today outlines the key point that the trust is aiming to promote as part of its 30th anniversary message, which is to ensure that parents are given as much information and help as possible to prevent such a tragedy from happening to them.

Since it was formed, the trust has provided vital support for hundreds of families across Scotland. Over the years, the support services on offer have been developed further, and today the trust offers an impressive range of support for families who have been affected by the loss of a baby or young child to cot death. The trust does not just support newly bereaved families; it also supports those who are still affected by the loss of a baby, in some cases many years after the tragedy. Such long-term support is vital for many families, including those who go on to have another baby.

To see just how much work the Scottish Cot Death Trust does, we need only look at the spring edition of Scottish Cot Death Trust News. I know that most members received a copy, and I would be most grateful if they looked at them and passed them on. That would be a good bit of work for the trust.

The work carried out by the trust and its staff is immeasurable, and few words in the English dictionary can be used to fully acknowledge it, but there are at least two words that I would like to say at this moment in time and on behalf of the Parliament—thank you.