Preventing Babies’ Deaths: What Needs to be Done, produced by infant death charity Sands, argues that many of the 6,500 stillbirth and neo-natal deaths each year in the UK could be a prevented through better research, improved investment in antenatal care and greater awareness among parents of the risks of stillbirth.
Despite medical improvements, the stillbirth rate of one in 200 babies is the same as in the late 1990s and is among the highest rates in the developed world, according to the report, which adds that one in 300 babies dies before they are one month old.
Sands chief executive Neal Long said: "The scale of baby deaths in the UK is shocking. 17 babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth every day, with stillbirth being the largest contributor to child deaths under the age of five years."
The charity is calling for better research into the causes of stillbirth. Around a third of stillbirths are still unexplained and placenta abnormalities are poorly understood.
A third of stillbirths are believed to be associated with low birth weight. The charity is calling for better targeting of women at risk of poor baby growth such as the over-35s, those classified as obese and those who smoke or misuse drugs and alcohol.
The government is being called on to improve maternity and neonatal services. The report notes that the Royal College of Midwives estimates 5,000 more midwives are needed nationally.
Antenatal screening also needs to be more sophisticated. According to the report, current screening is "not dissimilar to those in use 40 years ago".
A link to the report will follow shortly.
