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First Candle Convenes Public Health Advisory Committee to Address Role of Racial Disparity and Implicit Bias in Infant Mortality Rates

April 12, 2021, New Canaan, CT –  First Candle, the national non-profit committed to ending Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), has announced the formation of a standing Public Health Advisory Committee of health care professionals and advocates to address racial disparity, health equity and implicit bias in maternal and infant health practices and their impacts […]

April 11, 2021 by

Hope for the days ahead

We thank Lauren McDaniel, a community member in our bereavement support group, for allowing us to repost her blog post. FEBRUARY 2, 2021 BY LAUREN MCDANIEL The day after Maddie died, I remember specifically asking “Will we ever be OK again?” In those first hours, and days, and even weeks, there were so many moments when I […]

February 8, 2021 by

Join us for an Evening of Chocolate, Music and Love

Get a head start on Valentine’s Day with an evening of chocolate, music and love. Join us on Tuesday, February 9th at 8P when you and your partner can learn how to make and create three decadent Hot Cocoa Bombs.  If you’ve never heard of these before, they’re delicious artisanal creations that are dropped into […]

January 20, 2021 by

Join us for an evening of Whiskey and Chocolate Tasting!

WHEN:  Thursday, December 10th, 7-8:30PM EST Join us for another Zoom event sampling three whiskeys from Woodinville Whiskey Co. accompanied with infused chocolate bonbons and truffles from Yelibelly Chocolates. Renee George will be discussing the history of Woodinville distillery and what led to them earning “Craft Whiskey of the Year” and “Craft Rye Whiskey of […]

November 13, 2020 by

Andrew F. Rubenstein, M.D. Named to First Candle Board of Directors

Andrew F. Rubenstein, MD, MPH, has joined the Board of Directors of New Canaan-based First Candle, it was announced by CEO Alison Jacobson and Board Chair David Cunningham. Dr. Rubenstein is the newly appointed Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology for the Dignity Health Medical Group at Saint Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center (SJHMC) in Phoenix, Arizona. This […]

August 28, 2020 by

First Candle Receives Grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation

First Candle, the national non-profit committed to ending Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID), has announced it is undertaking an initiative to collect input from communities of color to and share with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as it updates the Safe Sleep Guidelines, for release in 2021.

August 2, 2020 by

Racism Must End for The Sake of Our Babies – #everybabycounts

First Candle is committed to ensuring that every baby gets to his or her first birthday and beyond.  Far too many babies are still dying and sadly a disproportionate number are Black babies.  What’s more, Black mothers are 3x more likely to die during or immediately after childbirth. The stress of structural racism is a […]

June 1, 2020 by

Virtual Mother’s Day to Father’s Day Walk/Run Challenge

Join us for a virtual Walk/Run challenge And help us support grieving moms and dads   Every year over 27,000 families will experience the death of a baby from Sudden Unexpected Infant Death or Stillbirth. For these families, the support of friends and relatives is what helps them get through this devastating time. Sadly now, […]

May 5, 2020 by
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Coronavirus: The Latest on Breastfeeding and Pregnancy

Knowledge is still unfolding, but the The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued an advisory on the Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19; here are the excerpts on breastfeeding and pregnancy: Pregnancy: very little is known right now on COVID-19’s effect on pregnant women and infants, and it is not clear if COVID-19 can […]

March 9, 2020 by

What Parents Need to Know About the Coronavirus

Needless to say,  everyone is nervous about the Coronavirus but there is always a great deal of misinformation that can spread.  We asked First Candle’s Board of Director Dr. John Cianella, Director of the Division of Neonatology at Stamford Health to provide us with the facts to share with our community: Human Coronaviruses are a […]

March 4, 2020 by
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First Candle Welcomes The Boppy Company Support Of Its Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep Program

Longtime donor The Boppy Company has confirmed its 2019 support for First Candle and their mission of reducing the rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths according to First Candle CEO Alison Jacobson.  The national non-profit organization has been leading the way for over 40 years in educating parents and caregivers […]

July 10, 2019 by

Mother’s Day Jewelry for Bereaved Moms Who Are #alwaysamom

Once again, Natalie Kroft with Keep Collective has generously teamed up with First Candle and created some very special Mother’s Day jewelry.  Various pieces are available that can be inscribed with “Always A Mom.” “For many moms in our community whose baby has died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or other sleep-related infant death or […]

May 3, 2019 by

Please welcome our new First Candle Ambassadors

This weekend was an exciting time for our team. Over the weekend we conducted a two-day training with three women who will now be First Candle Ambassadors and conduct our Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep Trainings. We are proud to introduce you to Jen Ciannella, Carol Jordan and Dauline Singletary. Each has a public […]

April 2, 2019 by

Byron Johnson Joins First Candle Board of Directors

We’re pleased to announce that Byron Johnson, a public relations and issues advocacy professional, has joined the First Candle Board of Directors.  With nearly 20 years of experience creating and implementing awareness and social marketing campaigns, he brings to First Candle a desire to help families – with an emphasis on African American families and […]

February 28, 2019 by

Parental Bereavement Leave Act – Please Show Your Support

The loss of a child is devastating and leaves parents incapable of functioning for many weeks.  They need time to grieve and to begin healing.  First Candle is proud to support the Parental Bereavement Leave Act, prompted by The Farley-Kluger Initiative—a movement which began in 2011 to amend FMLA to allow up to 12 weeks […]

February 11, 2019 by

Statement from Alison Jacobson, CEO and Executive Director, First Candle

New Canaan, CT – The following is a statement from First Candle CEO and Executive Director Alison Jacobson regarding NICHD’s decision to release a strategic plan that excludes resources to battle SIDS. “The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s (NICHD) decision to release a strategic plan that places no priority […]

February 8, 2019 by

Help for a Grieving Parent at the Holidays

For those of us who have lost a child the holidays are always a difficult time.  Sure, we put on a good act for our other kids and even our family because, to be honest, they couldn’t handle our grief year after year.  After several years, we appear “normal” (whatever that means) but the grief […]

December 16, 2018 by
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Safe Sleep and Breastfeeding Forum

New and energetic channels of communications between federal and regional groups opened up on November 5 when First Candle hosted a day-long Safe Sleep and Breastfeeding Forum at Stamford Hospital, fostering new relationships to help advance the Safe Sleep Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The event brought representatives from the Centers for […]

November 13, 2018 by

Important Legislation for SIDS

We at First Candle are reaching out to let you know of a promising piece of legislation now under review by the U.S. Congress, focused on improving resources devoted to improving better understanding and awareness around unexpected sudden death early in life, including SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths. Known as Scarlett’s Sunshine Act (H.R. […]

October 2, 2018 by

Halo joins First Candle’s Safe Sleep Guardian Program

We ‘re so excited when companies and influencers are willing to help spread the word about infant safe sleep in order to reduce the rate of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths such as accidental suffocation. Halo, a long-time supporter of First Candle has always been committed to safe sleep and in fact was founded […]

September 26, 2018 by

First Candle Launches Safe Sleep Guardian Campaign

Five Companies Earn the Designation by Committing to Only Showing Babies in a Safe Sleep Environment   September 12, 2018, New Canaan, Conn. — First Candle, the national non-profit organization committed to ending Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths, announced today the launch of the Safe Sleep Guardian program, designed to urge […]

September 12, 2018 by

First Candle’s Straight Talk Training Improves Knowledge of Safe Sleep Guidelines

In early August Barb Himes, First Candle’s Director of Education and Training, spoke at the 46th annual conference of the National Black Nurses Association, presenting an overview of our Straight Talk for Infant Sleep program, which follows the Safe Sleep Guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. First Candle launched Straight Talk in 2017, […]

August 26, 2018 by

Neonatologist John F. Ciannella joins First Candle Board of Directors

We are thrilled to announce that John F. Ciannella, MD has joined the First Candle Board of Directors. Dr. Ciannella is a fellowship-trained and board-certified neonatologist who since 2008 cares for newborn infants, specifically, babies who are born premature or diagnosed with complex medical and rare conditions and those who are critically ill. Dr. Ciannella […]

August 22, 2018 by

Black Nurses Conference

First Candle Presents Overview of Safe Sleep Program at Black Nurses Conference Last week First Candle’s Director of Education and Training attended the National Black Nurses Association, Black Nurses Conference and presented an overview of Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep.   This program addresses the obstacles and objections parent’s face in following the Safe Sleep guidelines […]

August 7, 2018 by
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2018 International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS & Baby Survival – Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep

In June 2018,  Barbara Himes, our Director of Education and Training, attended the 2018 International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS and Baby Survival in Glasgow, Scotland, where she presented our program, Straight Talk for Infant Safe Sleep, to a gathering of health care professionals, parents and SIDS researchers from around the world. She stressed Straight Talk’s […]

July 30, 2018 by

Why woman are still dying during childbirth in the USA

According to a USA TODAY investigative report released in July 2018, thousands of women every year suffer serious injury or death during childbirth due to ignored safety practices, making it especially important that women take an active interest in their own care. More than 50,000 women a year are injured and about 700 mothers die, […]

July 30, 2018 by
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The Rate of SIDS drops…but there’s still work to do

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report announcing that infant mortality rates have dropped by 15% and the rate of SIDS by 29%.  That’s a huge success for those of us working in the field of infant health and survival. While this should be celebrated, there’s still a great deal of […]

March 22, 2017 by