Care of Next Infant (CONI)

When you experience a sudden and unexpected death of a baby, it is normal to feel anxious to have another baby.

We understand that for parents who have lost a baby, particularly if their baby died suddenly and unexpectedly, having another child can be hard. It is common for parents to worry that the same thing will happen.

Working with the NHS, we run a national health-visitor led service for bereaved parents. Our Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme supports families before and after the birth of their new baby. We also fund the specialist monitoring equipment for CONI babies, which provides much-needed reassurance for anxious parents.

About CONI

Through CONI, parents may:

• Receive regular contact ( home visits & telephone conversations) from your health visitor or practitioner, so they can talk freely about any worries and seek advice
• Borrow movement monitors which pick up movements as the baby breathes, and will ring an alarm if movements stop for longer than 20 seconds
• Receive training on basic life support so parents will know what to do if their baby stops breathing before professional help is available.
• Use a symptom diary to record their baby’s health, which they can then discuss with their health visitor or show to a medical professional, when they are worried.
• Use the Baby Check App to help to decide when their baby is unwell and needs to seek medical help.
• Monitor their baby’s growth with a detailed weight chart to detect changes that may mean baby should be checked by a doctor
• Receive a room thermometer and guidance on baby bedding and clothing.

For further support and advice please contact our Single Point of Access on 01922 603074, visit the Lullaby Trust website or the Institute of Health Visiting Website.