UK mortality rate for babies still unacceptable

A new report published by MBRRACE-UK – the Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Report- has found that the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in the UK dropped in the 10 years since 2003. But the UK mortality rate for babies is still 7.3 per 1,000 births, one of the highest rates when compared with other European countries.

The study found that 5,700 babies died before, during or shortly after birth in 2013 and states that every baby’s death needs a full investigation in order to learn to prevent similar deaths.

With 15 families affected every day, MAMA Academy feels the rates are still unacceptable. Heidi Eldridge, chairman of our charity says,

“MAMA Academy welcomes the report from MBRRACE highlighting the need for the UK to investigate every baby death so we can learn how to prevent similar outcomes in the future.

There are already proven resources readily available for trusts to use to prevent stillbirths and neonatal deaths. For example, our Made to Measure campaign is encouraging all trusts to run the GAP programme by The Perinatal Institute to better detect growth restricted babies. It has been estimated that 1000 babies’ lives could be saved every year if every trust runs GAP.

It’s unacceptable that so many babies are still dying in the UK when their lives could have been saved.

MBRRACE will give trusts better understanding of the risks babies face and how they can be detected which will make a huge impact on survival rates for our precious children.”

The authors of the report are now calling for all hospitals and NHS commissioners to set targets for stillbirths and neonatal deaths in a bid to bring the rates down even further.

In a statement in response to the report Professor Alan Cameron, RCOG Vice President for Clinical Quality said:

“We fully support the report’s recommendations, both investment in data provision and monitoring as well as setting national aspirational targets are vital and we will continue to work closely with MBRRACE-UK and other colleagues to make the UK one of the safest places to be born. Our Each Baby Counts project is a five-year quality improvement initiative which aims to reduce by 50% the number of stillbirths, early neonatal deaths and brain injuries occurring in the UK as a result of incidents during term labour by 2020….We are deeply committed to ensuring that every mother receives the best quality care available and avoidable deaths are prevented.”

And RCM director for midwifery Louise Silverton said:

“This is a welcome report, but one that shows the UK still has a lot to do to reduce perinatal mortality rates. It highlights real inequalities in outcomes for women and this variation has to be addressed…Maternity services should also be reaching out to those women who are only engaging with maternity services late into their pregnancy or are poor attendees.There are lessons here also for midwives and other health professionals working in maternity services. We need to ensure midwives have the time to do a thorough initial assessment of a woman, and moving forward ensure women have ongoing risk assessments. This is where continuity of care and carer can play a crucial part.”

To read in full the report, please see here

To watch a news report on the findings please see here

To read the statements of response in full see RCOG here and RCM here