Increased monitoring needed to prevent stillbirths

In the UK the absolute risk of stillbirth is low, affecting approximately 4 in 1000 babies, however half of all stillbirths are small for gestational age babies (SGA) and experts suggest that more babies could be saved with better monitoring during pregnancy. This was the conclusion of Prof Gordon Smith, from the University of Cambridge, in a review in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).

Prof Gordon Smith said,  “While women should be encouraged to address risk factors such as smoking and obesity, the only way to prevent antepartum stillbirth in an otherwise apparently healthy infant is to induce delivery. Of course this requires identifying women at high risk and needs to be balanced against the risks inherent in early delivery and preterm birth…routine care currently identifies less than a quarter of SGA babies prior to delivery, so better ways of screening for SGA are urgently required.”

Heidi Eldridge, Founder and Chairman of MAMA Academy said: “There is already a programme tried, tested and currently available in the UK to better detect SGA babies and our “Made to Measure” campaign is calling all trusts to run it.  It is the Growth Assessment Protocol (GAP) programme by the Perinatal Institute. It detects growth restricted babies through the use of customised charts, training, protocols and audits. Nearly a third of all maternity units are now running it and it has been estimated that if ALL trusts run it, UK stillbirth rates could be reduced by a quarter. For more information on GAP and to find out how to get your trust on board, please visit our Made to Measure page.”

Information on Made to Measure can be found here 

The review can be read here

Read the RCOG report on the review here