Reducing stillbirth

The NHS set out a national ambition to halve the rates of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal death and brain injuries by 2025, with a 20% reduction by 2020. The West Midlands Maternity Clinical Network is supporting local maternity LMSs with implementing the Saving Babies’ Lives care bundle to help maternity services meet this aspiration.

A care bundle typically draws together a small number of focused interventions designed to effect improvement in a particular disease area, treatment or aspect of care. When implemented as a package, evidence shows that greater benefits are achieved at a faster pace than if those improvements had been implemented individually.

The Saving babies’ lives care bundle introduced in 2015, is designed to reduce stillbirth and early neonatal death. It brings together four elements of care that are recognised as evidence-based and/or best practice:

  1. Reducing smoking in pregnancy
  2. Risk assessment and surveillance for fetal growth restriction
  3. Raising awareness of reduced fetal movement
  4. Effective fetal monitoring during labour.

Project deliverables

  • The clinical network has supported a number of interventions to improve safety and outcomes.
  • These include a CTG masterclass for staff within the West Midlands.
  • Holding events to highlight best practice and showcase work that is being undertaken both locally and nationally, such as the annual care bundle event.
  • Produced an infomercial to raise awareness of reduced fetal movement to be screened in antenatal clinics across the West Midlands.
  • Held an IUGR symposium to address variation in understanding and management.
  • Facilitates the completion and collection of a periodical survey that each Unit completes that demonstrates progress to date.
  • Carried out visits to the 14 units, working with commissioners and public health in a structured approach to share best practice.

Useful resources and links

The Clinical Network is currently working to develop a range of updated interventions and resources that shall be made available on this website once ready.  Please come back to learn more about our work.

Stillbirth Information Hub

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Stillbirth Information Hub, a webpage designed by and for NHS healthcare professionals to be able to access and share a wealth of information associated with the prevention of avoidable stillbirth, including materials related to the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle. Access to the Hub requires a username and password. It is not public facing, and provides NHS staff with a secure environment in which to communicate and share information.

For further information, please contact: england.midlandsperinatal@nhs.net