It is common for parents with young babies to worry about the possibility of SUDI. When a family has already suffered this tragedy it is inevitable that the next pregnancies and first few months of subsequent children’s lives will be a time of both joy and anxiety. Experience has suggested that informed professional support during this time helps to alleviate anxiety and is of value in ensuring appropriate care for the new baby. 

Our aim is that every family should receive adequate support with a subsequent baby following a SUDI. The CONI (Care of the Next Infant) programme exists to help NHS community health and hospital services provide integrated care for families with any subsequent infants. The programme is a collaboration between us and the health services with the clinical care of the baby and the family remaining the responsibility of local services, while we fund central services making training, information packs and advice available as well as conducting national audit.

CONI PLUS extends CONI to a wider group of families with essentially healthy babies but where either the baby is identified to have increased vulnerability and/or the parents have cause for increased anxiety.

The core elements of the programme are regular contacts with a health visitor, symptom diaries, weight charts and apnoea (movement) monitors.

A recent Department of Health report highlights CONI to reduce inequalities in infant mortality. 

Click on the link to the right to read more about the CONI scheme.