'National scandal' as 11 babies stillborn in Britain every day

Published on Wednesday 13 April 2011 17:31

BRITAIN'S record of stillbirths was condemned as a "national scandal" yesterday after it was shown to be one of the worst in the developed world.

More babies are born dead in the UK than almost anywhere else among the richer nations, research has revealed.

More than 4,000 British babies are stillborn every year, the equivalent of 11 a day.

The figure - ten times the number of cot deaths and more than the number of people killed on the roads - has remained largely unchanged in a decade.

The UK's stillbirth rate of 3.5 per 1,000 births ranks it 32 places below the best performer, Finland, in a league table of 193 countries that includes some of the world's poorest.

Of all the high-income countries, only New Zealand, Austria and France have higher stillbirth rates. Other high-income countries such as Norway, Australia and Holland have seen significant reductions in their stillbirth rates.

Neal Long, chief executive of Sands, the stillbirth and neo-natal death charity, said: "Eleven babies dying every day is a national scandal which has persisted for far too long in this country.

"This seemingly endless death toll of thousands of babies every year has the most terrible long-term impact on parents and their families.

"We now have no excuse in the UK for our persistently high stillbirth levels, and we must act immediately.

"Many mums in the UK have increasingly complex pregnancies. This, coupled with already stretched maternity services entering an era of budget cuts, could spell disaster for many more babies and their families."

Authors of the report published, in the Lancet, said stillbirths had been an "invisible" problem that was largely ignored.

They called for a worldwide focus on prevention strategies such as improved access to good obstetric care and screening to identify women at risk.

Common causes of stillbirth include congenital malformations, maternal medical problems and birth complications and infections. However, up to a third of cases cannot be explained.

Risk factors for women include being over 35 years old, carrying excess weight, smoking, alcohol or drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and multiple pregnancies, belonging to an ethnic minority group and social deprivation.

Frances Day-Stirk, director of learning research and practice development at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "Although 98 per cent of stillbirths occur in low- or middle-income countries, it remains a concern for high-income countries, including the UK.

"Stillbirth crosses all economic boundaries and leaves women and their families facing sadness and loss from situations that are sometimes avoidable with good antenatal care and access to skilled attendance at birth and basic obstetric care."