Global call to action on preventable stillbirths

Munro, Deirdre; Murphy, Margaret M.

Global call to action on preventable stillbirths

Files

10223.pdf(102.47 KB)

Published version

Date

2016-03

Authors

Munro, Deirdre

Murphy, Margaret M.

Publisher

MedMedia Ltd.

Abstract

Margaret Murphy, a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Stillbirth Alliance, shares her experience working on this call for global action with Deirdre Munro: Despite advances in maternity care, babies still die around the time of their birth. There are an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths annually across the globe, of which 98% occur in low-income and middle- income countries. A high number of these deaths are preventable, with half of all stillbirths (1.3 million) occurring during labour and birth. Most result from preventable conditions such as maternal infections (most commonly syphilis and malaria), non-communicable diseases and obstetric complications. In high income countries stillbirth occurring during labour is a rare event with 90% of deaths occurring antenatally. Many stillbirths are preventable with high quality antenatal and intrapartum care.

Keywords

Stillbirth , Adverse pregnancy outcomes , Preventable stillbirths , Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Stillbirth Alliance , Global Village Midwives

Citation

Munro, D. and Murphy, M. (2016) 'Global call to action on preventable stillbirths', World of Irish Nursing and Midwifery, 24 (2), p. 58.