Charity Launches Video in Time for World Prematurity Day to Raise Awareness of Neonatal Care (Available from 17/11/24)

On World Prematurity Day (17th November 2023), Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity has released a powerful and moving video titled ’10 Ickle Moments to Melt Your Heart.’ The video features 10 babies, the last of which shows a premature baby in an incubator, highlighting the reality that 1 in 10 babies worldwide are born prematurely.

Seven of the babies featured in the video were born prematurely but have since thrived thanks to specialised neonatal care. In the UK, eight in 100 babies are born premature and 60,000 are born before 37 full weeks of pregnancy annually.

Ickle Pickles is the only charity that raises funds to donate intensive and special-care equipment to neonatal units across England and Wales to give every newborn a chance. Since 2009, the charity has raised over £3 million for intensive and special care equipment. They provide new equipment for neonatal units and upgrade facilities to support parents and neonatal staff to make a big difference to the treatment of small babies.

Rachael Marsh, co-founder of Ickle Pickles, commented: “We hope this video underscores the scale of prematurity and why vital neonatal equipment is essential to save lives and support families. With NHS budgets under extreme scrutiny and pressure, all neonatal units in the UK have a list of kit they urgently need. We work closely with local communities and neonatal units to find tailored solutions and donate funds for the equipment that they most urgently need.”

Andy Marsh, co-founder of Ickle Pickles added: “Raising awareness of neonatal care is a subject close to our hearts at the Ickle Pickles. Our mission is to give every newborn a chance by working nationally whilst delivering tangible localised benefits for parents, neonatal units and communities.”

Ickle Pickles, the only charity of its kind in the UK, is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from organisations and individuals. Co-founder Rachael Marsh set up the charity after her son Charlie was born at 28 weeks gestation and was in a neonatal unit for three months.

The charity is asking partners and supporters to help spread the video on social media on the 17th of November to celebrate World Prematurity Day. For more information, please contact Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity.