January 18, 2016

expert reaction to series of reports on stillbirths

A series of papers has been published in The Lancet journal which explores how stillbirths might be reduced across the world. The report estimates that 2.6 million stillbirths occur annually, of which 98% occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Dr David Richmond, consultant gynaecologist & President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said:

“This comprehensive series of papers presents a ‘wake-up call’ to governments worldwide to make faster progress in reducing the number of stillbirths, which wreak untold damage on families, care givers and communities. In low and middle income countries, most stillbirths could be prevented with straightforward improvements to antenatal care and the care of women and their babies during childbirth, and we support the call for recommendations on preventing stillbirths to be included in every country’s Newborn Action Plan.

“In the UK, there is still much to be done to ensure our rate of progress is as good as the best in Europe. As leaders of the profession, we are committed to understanding more about stillbirths, improving multi-disciplinary training packages and promoting more effective team working to help doctors and midwives pick up potential complications and reduce the number of babies who are stillborn. We have also identified that local reviews following stillbirth remain an area in need of clear improvement. Through the RCOG’s Each Baby Counts initiative, we are this year beginning to undertake a structured review of each and every stillbirth that occurs during labour in term pregnancies to help identify common risk factors, learn from what went wrong and apply the lessons in maternity units across the country.

“The series highlights that much is still unknown about the causes of stillbirth and it will be the role of the RCOG to translate any new research or emerging evidence into changes to practice in the UK. Promotion of messages which may help women reduce the risk of stillbirth – such as maintaining a healthy weight prior to conception, stopping smoking and attending antenatal appointments – are all essential components to help end preventable stillbirths worldwide. Additionally, the messages within the recent MBRRACE stillbirth review in the UK – which include recognising risk factors for gestational diabetes and implementation of recommendations for care, measuring and recording of growth as well as fetal movements – are just as relevant globally as they are here in the UK.”

‘The Ending Preventable Stillbirth Series’ published in The Lancet on Monday 18th January.  

Declared interests

Dr David Richmond: No conflicts of interest