Red Nose | SIDS & Kids

Red Nose is Australia's leading authority on safe sleep and pregnancy and bereavement support for families affected by the death of a child.

Annually 3200 Australian families experience the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or child. This has to stop. Through world-class research advocacy and education we passionately believe we can put an end to this.

We are the only national organisation to provide free 24/7 specialised bereavement support by qualified counsellors to anybody impacted by the death of a child during pregnancy and up to 18 years of age.

We provide safe sleep and safe pregnancy education to all new and expectant parents in Australia.

We have also invested more than $17 million into vital lifesaving research.

SIDS & Kids now known as Red Nose Australia was founded in 1977 by bereaved parents who wanted to make sure the devastating impact of the death of their child never happened to anyone else - by finding out why their babies and children die suddenly and unexpectedly and then educating parents and health professionals in how to prevent it.

Their determination and tireless fundraising created Australia's most successful non-government funded public health program - "Back to Sleep"which has so far resulted in an 85 per cent reduction in SIDS in Australia.

The first Red Nose Day held in 1988 paved the way for today's landscape of national charity fundraising days urging Australians to wear a red nose and be "silly for a serious cause".

30+ years later Red Nose Day is still a much-loved and iconic national fundraising event with thousands of people taking part in Red Nose Day activities across the country each year.

In 2016 SIDS & Kids changed its name to Red Nose Australia with five formerly state-based organisations coming together to form the national Red Nose organisation with a joint mission and purpose: to reduce nine deaths a day to zero.

The state-based organisations in South Australia Tasmania and the Northern Territory chose not to join the national organisation and they continue on as independent SIDS and Kids organisations in their state.

Through world-class research evidence-based education and vital bereavement support services our mission is to reduce nine deaths a day to zero to ensure every parent is supported and to make sure no more families have to endure the pain and heartbreaking grief of losing a child.

SIDS and Kids | Sudden Infant Death Syndrome