Coronation Street criticised by stillbirth charity for 'misleading and dangerous' dialogue about pregnancy
Count the Kicks is angry at the soap for a scene between Craig and Faye
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Popular soap Coronation Street has come under fire from a stillbirth charity for “misleading” dialogue about a baby’s movements before birth.
Wednesday’s episode saw teenager Craig Tinker suggest that Faye Windass’ unborn child would move less as she approached her due date.
“I’ve been doing some reading up online,” he told her in the corner shop flat. “Can you feel it moving about less, the baby? As it comes closer to the time, it moves about less because it’s not got as much space.”
Count the Kicks, founded by Sophia Watt following the stillbirth of her daughter, aims to “raise awareness of the importance of monitoring baby’s movements during pregnancy”.
Shortly after the Corrie scene aired, it posted a Twitter message explaining that a “change in movement can be a key warning sign the baby is in distress”. It was retweeted more than 600 times, with some viewers complaining to ITV that Craig’s advice could mistakenly be taken as fact.
Elizabeth Hutton, CEO of Count the Kicks, later issued a statement describing the comments as “simply misleading with potentially dangerous consequences”.
“A baby’s movements do not slow down at the end of pregnancy,” she wrote. “Every baby moves differently and it is important that mums-to-be get used to their own baby’s pattern of movement, and if any significant changes occur they should contact a healthcare professional.”
“Craigs interpretation of what he read online was that of a 16-year-old boy who does not have any knowledge of pregnancy,” an ITV spokesperson told The Independent.
“He is not a medical professional. We are very grateful to the charity for raising awareness of the fact that babies should continue to move right up to birth.”
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Ofcom received two complaints alleging it was harmful and misleading for a character to suggest it was normal for babies to move less towards the end of pregnancy. A spokesperson said that the complaints will be assessed before a decision is taken on whether to investigate or not.
The number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in the UK currently stands at 16 every single day, a figure that Count the Kicks is hoping to cut by a third.
Faye, played by Ellie Leach, will give birth in Friday night’s double bill of Coronation Street.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments