CONSULTANCY
A new report into stillbirths has found that up to 1,200 baby deaths could be avoided each year with better care.
17 babies are stillborn or die be- fore they are one month old every day in the UK.
‘Preventing Babies’ Deaths: what needs to be done’ was published on January 18 by the charity Sands, recommending steps to tackle the country’s high stillbirth rate.
The number of stillbirths in the UK has not changed in over a decade and the charity is calling on the Government to tackle issues re- lating to public health, including further research into the causes of stillbirth, to help prevent all avoid- able deaths in future.
Research into scans and tools to identify at-risk babies is a recom- mendation of the report, as is in- creasing public awareness.
Neal Long, chief executive of Sands, said: “The scale of baby
The memorial stone in Sands’ garden at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Image: David Parkhill,
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deaths in the UK is shocking. A third of stillborn babies – around 1,200 – are born late in pregnancy (after 37 weeks gestation) at ges- tations when they might be safely delivered. But routine antenatal care is failing to detect far too many babies who need help.”
The major causes of stillbirth are problems with the placenta, con- genital malformations and mater- nal medical problems, although a third of cases cannot currently be explained. Many cases are asso- ciated with mothers with excess weight, who smoke or who are over 35.
The report says: “Around 500 ba- bies die every year because of a trauma or event during birth that was not anticipated or well man- aged. These deaths, when they occur at term, should never hap- pen and almost always could be avoided with better care.”
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) suggested that all practi- tioners involved in maternity care
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should be aware of the risks as- sociated with stillbirth and work to understand how it can be re- duced.
Gail Johnson, education and pro- fessional development advisor at the RCM, said: “Ensuring that all mothers have access to high quality antenatal care delivered by midwives is the first step towards having a healthy mother and baby at the end of pregnancy.
“However, to ensure that antena- tal care and parenting education is appropriately delivered we need to have enough midwives to de- liver the care.
Public health minister Anne Mil- ton said: “We continue to invest in research into the factors linked to stillbirth through the National Institute for Health Research’s ongoing programme on women’s health.”
national health executive Jan/Feb 12 | 77
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