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 always say that the advice about cot death and not lying babies on their front is the last truly meaningful piece of baby advice to go public (considering how many bits of needlessly scaremongering stuff is put out there to chastise pregnant women and new mothers). I do hope Anne Diamond finds some comfort that her appalling loss has at least lead to countless other tragedies being avoided.

I was a child at the time. I remember her campaign. I even remember a watching a TV interview with her where she discussed her own loss and the statistical drop in numbers of cot deaths that was already evident. She talked about the research at the time too. I don't remember details such as names of researchers or the actual stats themselves. But I do remember the gist of things. It made a big impression in me. So I'm surprised so few seem to know she did this and that there's an idea she didn't get recognition at the time. I thought of her when I had my own children.

I do remember her campaign, but never actually considered the impact of it until you posted about it OP, thank you. I do hope she get recognition for it, I also will be writing. I love Anne Diamond and wish she had taken over the Wright Stuff, she is so smart and articulate.

I always find her one of the more intelligent and sensible panellists on Loose Women.

I don't think she did get recognition at the time. I think "they" did a lot of dismissing her as a hysterical grief stricken woman. However, as she has publicly stated she disapproves of they system and would turn an honour down, it's hardly surprising that it hasn't been offered

I think they should have Anne as presenter every Friday on TWS Vine show.

Let her choose her own guests too. No reality stars.

Yes yes YES. Make her a Dame. Long overdue.

Matthew Wright championed her for years. She definitely deserves recognition, wonderful woman.

What are you all putting in your emails and has anyone had a reply? Seems very difficult to nominate her with all the personal things they require when no one on here will know her on a personal level.

Obviously it's a terrific thing that the advice has turned out to have such positive impact.

I don't know the full history of the Back to Sleep campaign, but I just had a look at an article about what research had been published at the time, and it sounds like there wasn't much - only two studies, both of which were case control studies (ie not RCTs, which in many areas of health are the "gold standard" for testing interventions), one of which was in NZ. If it's really the case that a celebrity managed to change national public health advice off the back of two case control studies, one of which was in a different national setting, then I'm not sure that should be celebrated. It sounds like Anne Diamond was incredibly lucky she was right. She could have done enormous harm if the research had in some way been flawed. So I have slightly mixed feelings about this.

Why the giddy feck would anyone put a baby to sleep on their front??! First I’ve heard of it.. Were people actually told to do this?? How odd.
Totally counter-intuitive. No-one sleeps on their front...surely?

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My reply from em.

Missmisery there was research, again from New Zealand I think, which suggested it was safer for premium babies and it then became the norm for all babies.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
We were told babies would choke if they were on their backs. My first two babies were born in 1975 and 1976 and that was the advice.

Premature, although they might have been premium as well!

I wonder if she's already been offered an honour and has turned it down? It seems weird that someone so well known and having done such good stuff hasn't been honoured already.

When you are selected for an honour you get asked whether you would accept it first, and if you say no it is never published that you were selected - to prevent anyone from ever doing anything unBritish like telling her majesty that it's frankly insulting to have our system of honours linked to closely to an archaic system of inherited privilege.

I know two people who were nominated, at some point the proposed recipient is contacted and asked if they wish their name to go forward to be submitted for consideration for an award. It's at this point that the recipient can refuse (both my friend/relative did) and their name isn't submitted for further consideration.

Cross post

I would like to nominate but not sure what to fill in - and whether she would want the 'honour' from the establishment that tried to ignore her and brush her off at first.

I remember the death of her baby very very well. It was tragic news when it broke on breakfast tv. She was so brace, dignified and a real ambassador for change. A remarkable woman and I don't say that lightly.

I read a fantastic article a few years ago (guardian I think, back when it was good!) about the Bristol Dr, sorry name escapes me even though it’s been mentioned earlier in the thread

Apparently the biggest thing the government didn’t want to acknowledge is that he was going to house after house witnessing cot death in predominantly very inpoverished households. He was convinced that poverty was a factor but no one wanted to hear it. It was all “who cares if poor peoples babies die- they probably weren't looking after them properly”
Until Anne diamond, a wealthy, educated white British woman experienced it, and helped him to get publicity. The poverty link still wasn’t spoken about though.

It is possible she has rejected an honour some people do but absolutely agree turning her heartbreak into such a positive thing should be acknowledged if she wants she moved the SIDS research forward by 10 years it's actually scary to think how many babies may not be here without her!

There is another danger to health in UK mattresses which is the existence of around 10 kilos of flame retardant chemicals per mattress. These include antimony and brominated flame retardants which consistently are found to be toxic and banned (but banned FRs such as DecaBDE still exist in millions of sofas and mattresses). No other country in the world requires flame retardants in children's mattresses but we in effect do. California has just banned all flame retardants in juvenile products including mattresses. 12 other US states have banned FRs in various products. EU mattresses do not contain FRs. FRs cause all kinds of illnesses and produce huge amounts of hydrogen cyanide when they burn. The rise in FRs in the past 40 years or so mirrors the rise of all kinds of health issues, including autism, thyroid disruption and lots more.

Why is this the case in the UK? Because we have the toughest furniture flammability laws in the world. Which wouldn't be so bad if the government itself hadn't proved four years ago that they mostly don't work. Why has it failed to put things right? Well, for a start flame retardants are big business - worth around £100m per year in UK furniture alone. The changes that the government (Department for Business) proposed 4 years ago would have immediately cost the chemical industry around £50m a year - the fact that the changes would also have made furniture fire-safe appears to be irrelevant.

The Department for Business is currently refusing to act upon fresh proposals it put out in 2016. These included the proposal to ban FRs in children's products such as prams, buggies and car seats.

Yes, that’s how it should be. You shouldn’t get out of paying for your child. Lots of people are struggling at the moment snd they’re having to both, underpay their mortgage etc. That debt will still be there after all this. Why should absent fathers be any different?

@Neednewwellies wrong thread I think