To wonder why Anne Diamond has still not received the recognition she deserves after saving the lives of 1000s of babies.

[Helpmefindaholiday]

I vaguely knew the story but I’ve just read a fuller account. So after her own family tragedy, she researched and discovered a study was going on in NZ where a Dr was promoting the ‘back to sleep’ campaign. She flew out to speak to this Dr and came back and met with V Bottomley who was then health Sec. They wanted to wait and see but AD refused to do this and used her own money to fly the NZ Dr over to speak to VB. it snowballed from there. From 1989-1992 the number of cot deaths in the UK more than halved. That is hundreds of thousands of babies saved thanks to Anne Diamond and her campaign. I just find it incredulous that we hand out ‘gongs’ for all sorts but nothing for a woman whose campaign was a game changer and how many middle aged parents who are happily watching their children get married and give them grandchildren have this woman to thank for saving them from a life of bereaved agony. MN should be campaigning for proper recognition for this woman and all she’s done for children in the UK.

I agree. Very under rated woman.

Just read that the Dept of Health wanted to wait for a 10yr study!!!! I think at that time 3 or 4 babies a night we’re dying of SIDS in the Uk and they wanted to wait 10yrs!

Wow! I had no idea!

I obviously agree, AF. I vaguely knew if her involvement before but I hadn’t realised how instrumental she had been or how much opposition she faced from the DofH.

@AnnoyedByAlfieBear, I don’t think you’re alone. I think a good many people have no idea how much she did.

I agree. Here is how you nominate someone for an honour.
www.gov.uk/honours

I knew because I was an adult at the time and remember but I agree that she should get more recognition.

I remember how vocal she was at the time. She certainly was doing it for the benefit of children and mothers who she didn't want to suffer as she had done rather than the recognition. The recognition is the fact that it's now an absolute standard to put babies on their backs.

Yanbu

Thanks @greensnail, I’ll definitely nominate. It would be great if everyone on this thread who agreed also spared a minute to do so.

I rarely post but I entirely agree. I recently read a story about what she did and think it’s amazing that she achieved so much good after such an awful personal tragedy.

I completely agree.

Can you imagine if a man had started the campaign? He would be Sir Lord King of Babyshire by now.

Please also nominate if you agree.

Yes she has done great things. It’s possible she was nominated & declined. Or maybe babies lives being saved isn’t as ‘important’ as some other work by those who give out awards.

Agree that she should be recognised.

More info for those unfamiliar:

Cot death: How Anne Diamond helped save thousands of babies
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-37908627

I completely agree and will nominate as well. I was also really hoping channel 5 would give Matthew Wright's old spot to Ann, I think she would have been a better choice than Jeremy vine.

Back to sleep: the doctor who helped stem a cot death epidemic
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/26/back-to-sleep-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-cot-death-peter-fleming

@BigGreenOlives, I read something written by Matthew Wright where he states his amazement that she’s never been publicly recognised and how he’d assumed she’d declined but she told him no, it had never been offered.

Completely agree she should be honoured for it.

@PerkingFaintly, yes, in the interview with AD I read, she credits this Dr saying his work in Bristol was saving many lives but he was only able to change advice in Bristol as the DofH wanted to see a much longer study. His work would undoubtedly have eventually led to the nationwide change of policy but who had another 10yrs to spare?

I absolutely do not agree. Anne Diamond set off in her grief down the entirely the wrong track. She jumped on the bandwagon of the back to sleep campaign late. He biggest campaign, now discredited was that second hand mattresses were the cause due to the presence of antimony. In fact the main cause of antimony comes from passive smoking. She set the SIDS research back 2 years while they explored this direction. I was working in the field at the time and saw first hand the havoc and fear this produced. I saw mothers covering mattress in polythene, laying babies on folded duvets and other dangerous practice. The only winners were the makers of mattresses. Some of this fear still lingers, as MMR scares. She meant well, and I feel sorry for her loss, but she was wrong. Some of the comments above are naive. This is nothing to do with babies lives not mattering, or a woman campaigning. People on social media are so quick to comment without knowing all the facts. There are people dedicating their whole lives to this. Not celebrity campaigners.

I seem to remember she also uncovered a link between antimony in mattresses and SIDS. She’s very, very under recognised for the amazing work she’s done. She deserves far more credit for the lives she’s no doubt saved.

I’ve always thought this and will happily nominate her too.
If everyone who posts on this thread in agreement nominates too, perhaps she’ll get the recognition she deserves.

@ConfusedBeetle, the Bristol Dr linked above who first discovered the link credits AD with galvanising the campaign and as a result saving the lives of thousands of babies. He says he was tied up in red tape and trying to get the Lancet to publish his work and she was able to raise awareness and use her celebrity to get the DofH to listen thus changing the advice much quicker.

Yes I think anyone of my sort of age and older will remember her campaign.

I was watching the Wright Stuff a few weeks ago - Anne was on, as was a young woman - and the subject came onto gadgets. The young woman spoke about a new gadget to monitor babies while they slept - and I thought she has no idea that the woman sat next to her has done so much campaigning on cot death (and will probably be mortified after the show when someone tells her).