At a recent UCLA event, California’s Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos made a powerful statement: “We have to remember what happens in childhood does not stay in childhood. It shapes our biology, our behavior, and our health outcomes across the lifespan.” Dr. Ramos was speaking about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—childhood exposure to abuse, neglect, family […]
We’re excited to share that Naturepedic, the leading manufacturer of certified organic mattresses, has joined First Candle as a donor and partner in our mission to ensure every baby reaches their first birthday. As part of this commitment, Naturepedic will: Provide safe sleep guidance with every crib mattress through QR codes and educational infographics created by First Candle […]
June is National Safety Month, and it’s the perfect time to share a few key tips to help keep babies safe while they sleep. At First Candle, we know how overwhelming all the advice can be, so we’re keeping it simple: safe sleep saves lives. Each year, thousands of babies die from Sudden Unexpected Infant […]
A recent case out of Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, has sparked national headlines: a couple has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after their 3-month-old baby died while sleeping on his stomach. Prosecutors allege the parents ignored prior warnings from child welfare workers about safe sleep practices, leading to the infant’s tragic death. This case is heartbreaking—and […]
First Candle Offers Guidance on Safe, More Affordable Alternatives With recent tariffs driving up the cost and limiting the availability of essential infant products like cribs, parents across the country are voicing urgent concerns about how to keep their babies safe during sleep. First Candle, the national nonprofit dedicated to preventing Sudden Unexpected Infant […]
Join us Tuesday, December 17th at noon EST, as we host a live webinar and panel discussion unveiling the successes of our first year of Let’s Talk Community Chats hosted in Atlanta in partnership with Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. We will share data and stories about the impact […]
Every year the second Sunday after Labor Day is a special one – Grandparents Day! A time “to honor grandparents … and to help children become aware of the strength, information, and guidance older people can offer.” It’s also a time to acknowledge that the day can trigger bereaved memories for grandparents who may have […]
An article was published this week about Hannah Kinney, the prolific and important SIDS researcher, and her decades long career pursuing the cause of SIDS. At the Harvard Medical School, Professor Hannah Kinney conducted SIDS research on the brainstems of babies who died from SIDS for decades. Her work is likely the most important SIDS […]
It’s an honor for me to introduce to you the newest addition to our Board of Directors, Dr. Swati Johnson, DO, FAAP. Dr. Johnson is a neonatologist at Envision Healthcare and a core team member at Onsite Neonatal Partner where she oversees management and procedures for Level III NICU and is a Quality Initiative Board […]
February 2024 – Citing a “maternal health crisis”, this month the General Accounting Office reported that maternal mortality and other adverse pregnancy- or childbirth-related outcomes “worsened significantly” in 2020/2021 over 2018/2019. This included persistent disparities during the pandemic: the rate for non-Hispanic Black/African American women was around 2.5 times greater than for non-Hispanic white women. […]
A new resource for grieving dads Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of Guys and Grief – a podcast dedicated to helping dads navigate their grief journey. The first episode airs today and you can listen to it here. It’s especially significant as one of the co-hosts of the podcast is Brian Scruton, the […]
The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating, but it can also be a difficult time for those who have lost an infant. It doesn’t matter if it was recent or not; even if parents and families have resumed their daily lives, the grief of losing an infant never goes away, whether it’s […]
Byron Johnson has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors First Candle, it was announced by CEO and Executive Director Alison Jacobson. Johnson is Vice President, Public Affairs at Fleishman Hillard, a global public relations agency with 79 offices in more than 30 countries. An experienced public relations and issues advocacy professional, Johnson’s […]
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April 20, 2022 – New York, NY – It was announced today that juvenile products company HALO, will partner with the national non-profit organization First Candle, to offer safe sleep and implicit bias training to hospitals across the country. HALO was founded in 1994 by Bill Schmid, following the tragic loss of his infant daughter […]
Last week we kicked off our Let’s Talk Community Chat program in partnership with the Hope Center Harlem and the Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership. This program will offer families in the community the opportunity to receive education and support regarding safe sleep and breastfeeding every month at a location that is convenient and accessible. These community events will […]
As I have written over the past several months, First Candle is committed to engaging in conversations with families and providing them with practical information on the importance of safe sleep practices that are not only evidenced based, but reality based. We know that parents want to do what’s best for their baby but are […]
The New York City Marathon is less than two weeks away and we’re so honored and excited to have an amazing group of 16 runners as part of Team First Candle. We have runners who are new to our team and returning runners. We have siblings, aunts, uncles, parents and friends who have experienced the […]
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 […]
