Our People
We have established national and international multidisciplinary collaborations, with world-renowned experts in stillbirth prevention and care...
COntinuing care in COVID-19 Outbreak: A global survey of New and expectant parent experiences.
|
IMPROVE eLearning Module
On Wednesday 4 November 2020, the Stillbirth CRE partnered with the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) to officially launch the IMPROVE eLearning module – an online training package designed to support healthcare professionals responding to women and families who have experienced stillbirth, conduct perinatal autopsy and mortality reviews, and communicate with bereaved parents.
This virtual event included an overview of the training content by Professor Adrienne Gordon, presentation by bereaved parent and Stillbirth Foundation Ambassador Ann-Maree Imrie, and formal launch by Nicole Flint MP on behalf of Federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt. A recording of this webinar launch is now available.
New Lancet Global Health Article
A new study published in The Lancet Global Health highlights the importance of midwife-led care in low and middle income countries to reduce the rate of stillbirth.
Burnet Institute co-director and Stillbirth CRE investigator Professor Caroline Homer is the senior author on the paper, titled Potential impact of midwives in preventing and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and stillbirths: a Lives Saved Tool modelling study. The study found that scaling up midwife-led care globally has the potential to save the lives of 4.3 million mothers and newborns annually by 2035. Read about the study here or watch Professor Homer discuss the study in a video here.
You can also read Professor Homer's comment in the Lancet Global Health, titled Counting Stillbirths and COVID-19: There has never been a more urgent time.
Ending preventable stillbirths: A renewed call for collective action
On Wednesday 21 October 2020, the Stillbirth CRE partnered with UNICEF and WHO for the virtual launch of the first ever global stillbirth estimates report.
The event, titled "Ending preventable stillbirths: A renewed call for collective action", featured parent and caregiver voices, as well as a discussion around the results of the report.
We are pleased that so many could join to help us to raise awareness of the global tragedy of stillbirths. Nearly 2,000 people attended and many contributed throughout the event. We hope that this engagement will continue to ensure that progress is made in ending preventable stillbirths. Click here to watch the recording. To watch the recording, please click here.
Moving to End Preventable Newborn Deaths and Stillbirths by 2030
The Stillbirth CRE welcomes the World Health Organization and UNICEF's Every Newborn Coverage Targets 2020-2025. We hope to see more signs of progress as the Safer Baby Bundle rolls out in more jurisdictions across Australia in 2021.
Safer Baby Bundle COVID-19 Resources
New Safer Baby Bundle COVID-19 resources are now available. These resources are designed to ensure women are still receiving important messages about stillbirth prevention during COVID-19.
International Stillbirth Alliance COVID-19 Resources
The International Stillbirth Alliance is closely following the latest global data, research and advisories related to COVID-19. For the latest advice on pregnancy and COVID-19, please click here.
Federal Funding Announced for Stillbirth Education and Awareness
The Federal Government is investing $3 million to improve community education and awareness about stillbirth. The Stillbirth CRE will deliver a range of education and awareness activities as well as strategies to target women with the highest rate of stillbirth in Australia.
Our Goal
To reduce the number of stillbirths that occur after 28 weeks’ gestation, and to improve the quality of care received by families whose baby is stillborn.
Cochrane Review Paper Available Now
Stillbirth CRE director Professor Vicki Flenaday and co-lead Associate Professor Philippa Middleton are co-authors of a new paper, led by Professor Erika Ota, recently published in the Cochrane Library. Titled “Antenatal interventions for preventing stillbirth, fetal loss and perinatal death: an overview of Cochrane systematic reviews” the paper summarises evidence from Cochrane systematic reviews on the effects of antenatal interventions for preventing stillbirth for low risk or unselected populations of women. The paper is now available online via the Cochrane Library here.
National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan
The Stillbirth CRE was honoured to attend the launch of the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan at Parliament House in Canberra on 10 December 2020. Read more about the launch here or explore the action plan's history by clicking below.
Publication of a new Stillbirth CRE series
A series of six papers authored by members of the Stillbirth CRE were recently published in the journal, Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives.
The "Stillbirth in Australia" series presents an overview of the establishment of the Stillbirth CRE and highlights the key activities that led to the development of a National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan. The papers also discuss the Safer Baby Bundle initiative and inequities for families from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and migrant and refugee backgrounds.
Access the series now via the Women and Birth website.
Safer Baby Bundle State and Territory Launches
After postponing the Safer Baby Bundle launch events in Queensland and Western Australia earlier in the year due to COVID-19, we are pleased to announce that the Safer Baby Bundle launched in Queensland on 28 and 29 October 2020, and in Western Australia on 3 November 2020.
Additionally, the Safer Baby Bundle launched in the ACT on 3 December 2020.
We look forward to announcing updates and further jurisdiction launches in 2021.
2020 National Stillbirth Forum - Focus on Stillbirth Prevention and Care
A big thank you to our speakers and all who attended our National Stillbirth Forum webinar series. The series was an enormous success and we look forward to seeing you again next year!
COVID-19 Update
We understand the COVID-19 pandemic is worrying for pregnant women and their families. From the limited evidence to date, pregnant women do not appear to be more severely affected by COVID-19 than the general population. The risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) to your baby appears very small.
All pregnant women and their families should follow the latest government advice. This includes regular hand washing, good hygiene and social distancing. If you have concerns, contact your healthcare professional.
The latest information for pregnant women and their families on COVID-19 can be found at:
- The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
- The Australian Department of Health
COVID-19 Research
The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp Belgium is conducting important global research to understand how health professionals providing care to pregnant, labouring, and postnatal women and their babies have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. If you can help, please complete this online survey
