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

Colson Smith and Ellie Leach as Craig Tinker and Faye Windass in Coronation Street (ITV)

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.”

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.