LOSING a baby is one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can go through.

This week has been designated Baby Loss Awareness Week with organising hoping that a focused look at the issues will help bereaved parents and their families unite with others to commemorate their babies' lives.

It also hopes to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss in the UK, push for improvements in bereavement support, and let people know what charities and other organisations are available to assist families who have lost a baby.

It has received the support of the MP for North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson, who has urged people to take a moment to look at the figures and think about an issue that could impact on so many people.

“Losing a baby is a tragic event which deeply impacts on parents, families and friends," said Justin.

"It is vital to offer support to those going through such an awful experience and events like Baby Loss Awareness Week are important in providing this support, as well as offering advice and raising awareness.”

In the UK, 15 babies die every day either before, during or shortly after birth. A quarter of all pregnancies are thought to end in miscarriage and almost five out of every 1,000 babies are still born.

The impact on families is far reaching, with siblings and grandparents also greatly affected.

The end of Baby Loss Awareness Week coincides with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day which is recognised across the world. To commemorate this people are being asked to take part in an initiative called the ‘Wave of Light.’

As part of the ‘Wave of Light’, parents and others supportive of those who have lost babies are encouraged to share a photo of a candle at 7pm local time using the hashtag #babyloss.

Using the power of social media, the 'wave' then travels across the world over 24 hours as more people light candles at their local time and share these photos online.