Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood

17 January 2023 · 10 other contributors · 7,696 words

Opened by Kwasi Kwarteng Con Spelthorne

Responding minister: Neil O'Brien

Children & FamiliesNHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Kwasi Kwarteng raised concerns about sudden unexplained death in childhood in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The lead MP expresses concern about the sudden and unexplained deaths of children aged one to 18, highlighting the lack of public attention and awareness on SUDC.
  • The MP urges the government to prioritise research into SUDC, improve medical education, and increase public information about the condition.
  • The Minister acknowledges the importance of the issue and the Government's commitment to reducing such tragedies but does not make specific commitments.

Key requests to Government

The lead MP urges the Minister to prioritise research into SUDC, encourage consistent medical education and training on this subject, and increase public information about the condition. He requests an undertaking from the NHS to update its website and engage with officials and managers to progress initiatives related to SUDC.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Kwasi Kwarteng Con Spelthorne

The lead MP is concerned about the sudden and unexpected deaths of children aged between one and 18 years, which often remain unexplained despite thorough investigations. He highlights the tragedy experienced by Julia and Christian Rogers after the loss of their son Louis to SUDC in 2021. The MP notes that SUDC is among the leading categories of death for children aged one to four but has not received adequate public attention, causing bewilderment and confusion among bereaved families and a lack of awareness among the wider population.

Other contributors (10)
  • Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton

    Paid tribute to the work of Kwasi Kwarteng in addressing sudden unexplained death in childhood, noting that around 40 children are affected by SUDC each year. Highlighted the lack of guidance for mitigating risks of SUDC compared to SIDS and called for support for research, awareness, understanding, and mental health/emotional support for families.

  • Andrew Slaughter Lab Hammersmith and Chiswick

    Mr Slaughter agrees with the lead MP's concerns, stating that he is here due to a constituent informing him about the tragic death of her two-year-old nephew in 2021. He acknowledges the difficulty in gaining education on SUDC due to limited debate and awareness but hopes this well-attended debate will prompt forthcoming research and education. Asked the Minister whether the Department and NHS can give the same priority to SUDC as it gives to SIDS in terms of education, research, and provision of information.

  • Andy Carter

    Pays tribute to Sarah Grogan from Cobbs Infant School in Appleton for her work raising awareness and educating medical professionals through the videos she has made after the loss of her son, Frankie.

  • Ben Spencer Con Runnymede and Weybridge

    Supporting the charity SUDC UK, Ben Spencer highlighted the work of Nikki Speed and Julia Rogers in raising awareness about sudden unexplained death in childhood. He noted that while SUDC is rare, affecting 40 children annually, it lacks consistent data collection compared to similar conditions like SIDS, which has seen significant research leading to a reduction in infant deaths.

  • Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre

    Cat Smith spoke about her constituent Alexander, who died suddenly in childhood. She highlighted the lack of warning signs before his death and praised the support provided by a SUDC nurse named Jo Birch in Lancashire. She urged the Government to improve national medical education on SUDC and requested that information be added to the NHS website.

  • Debbie Abrahams Lab Oldham East and Saddleworth

    It is good that we can unite and collaborate to address some of the issues raised by SUDC. The hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge has highlighted the issue's lack of profile, with only 50 research papers compared to 12,000 on sudden infant death syndrome.

  • Gagan Mohindra Con South West Hertfordshire

    Mr Mohindra highlighted the importance of educating more people about Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). He cited statistics showing approximately 128 children between ages one and 19 died from SUDC between 2013 and 2021, including six deaths in Hertfordshire. He emphasised the need for more research and public information updates on the NHS website.

  • Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley

    Robbie Moore shared the story of a local family whose 16-month-old child, Jack, died on Christmas day without explanation. He highlighted that sudden unexplained death in childhood is the fourth leading cause of death for children aged one to four years old in England and Wales, affecting approximately 40 children annually. Moore emphasized the need for increased research and awareness given the limited number of studies published on SUDC compared to other causes of infant deaths.

  • Robert Courts

    Robert Courts intervened, agreeing with Cat Smith's points and emphasizing the importance of research focusing on causation for sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC).

  • Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

    Expressed concern over the lack of action on febrile seizures, which can lead to sudden unexplained deaths in children. Emphasized the need for NHS trusts to have pathways to address febrile seizures and recommended screening young people with a family history or potential risk factors for heart conditions.

Government Response

Neil O'Brien

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne for securing the debate on this incredibly important issue. We recognise the devastation to families caused by sudden unexplained death in childhood and are committed to reducing such tragedies. Since the early 1990s, there has been a reduction of around 70% in the number of unexplained deaths in infancy due to recognised risk factors and safer practices. The Government published the 'Child Death Review Statutory and Operational Guidance (England)' in 2019, advising NHS trusts on how they should support bereaved families. Each local authority area has a child death overview panel responsible for reviewing information on all child deaths and identifying potential improvements to prevent future incidents. In 2018, NHS England established the national child mortality database to reduce preventable child mortality in England. The NCMD records comprehensive data on children's deaths and enables learning to prevent future deaths. Of the 204 unexpected and sudden deaths of children reviewed by child death overview panels in 2022, 32 were classified as unexplained. The report highlighted that both explained and unexplained deaths in this age group were associated with a history of convulsions but further research is needed. We are committed to improving medical education and enhancing the NHS website information for parents and professionals. My officials have contacted their counterparts at the University of Bristol and will scope further research priorities, including funding applications for research into sudden unexplained death in childhood.

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