New Action to Halve Stillbirth Rate. Guidelines issued by NHS

 

The new NHS guidance, 'Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle', aims to halve the rate of stillbirths by 2030. It aims for a 20% reduction by 2020


Saving Babies’ Lives is designed to tackle stillbirth and early neonatal death and a significant driver to deliver the ambition to reduce the number of stillbirths, bringing four elements of care together:

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

The package was developed by groups brought together by NHS England, including midwives, obstetricians and representatives from stillbirth charities. Though the NHS already follows much of this best practice, this is the first time that guidance specifically for reducing the risk of stillbirth and early neonatal death has been brought together in a coherent package.
The care bundle approach is now a recognised and familiar approach to improvement across the NHS. Care bundles typically bring 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 care bundle will now be tested and piloted by volunteer maternity care providers and NHS England will then consider how to support implementation nationwide, as part of the National Maternity Review.


Source:
NHS, England