Pen y Fan babygrow display for stillbirth and neonatal deaths

Heatherjane Coombs The walkers on Pen Y FanHeatherjane Coombs
The walkers on Pen Y Fan

A washing line pegged with 15 babygrows has been carried up Pen Y Fan to raise awareness of the number of babies who die shortly before, during or after birth in the UK each day.

About 170 people climbed the Brecon Beacons peak on Saturday.

The washing line is visiting well-known sites across the UK throughout June.

The chief executive of Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, said she wanted people to talk about the "taboo subject" of baby death.

Dr Clea Harmer said the campaign was also aimed at "provoking debate and discussion as to why do so many babies die and what can be done to reduce this number".

Em Fitzgerald A washing line pegged with 15 baby-growsEm Fitzgerald
A neonatal death is one that occurs in the first 28 days of life

The charity said the UK was three times slower than some European countries at lowering the baby death rate and families were often sent home with poor explanations of why their baby died.

A babies remembrance service is to be held for bereaved parents at the Wenallt Chapel at Thornhill Crematorium in Cardiff on Sunday.