Stillbirth in Australia 1: The road to now: Two decades of stillbirth research and advocacy in Australia

Vicki J Flenady; Philippa Middleton; Euan M Wallace; Jonathan Morris; Adrienne Gordon; Frances M Boyle; Caroline Se Homer; Sarah Henry; Leigh Brezler; Aleena M Wojcieszek; Miranda Davies-Tuck; Michael Coory; Emily Callander; Sailesh Kumar; Vicki Clifton; Susannah H Leisher; Hannah Blencowe; Madeline Forbes; Jessica Sexton; David A Ellwood

doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2020.09.005

Stillbirth in Australia 1: The road to now: Two decades of stillbirth research and advocacy in Australia

Women Birth. 2020 Nov;33(6):506-513. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.09.005.

Authors

Vicki J Flenady¹, Philippa Middleton², Euan M Wallace³, Jonathan Morris⁴, Adrienne Gordon⁵, Frances M Boyle⁶, Caroline Se Homer⁷, Sarah Henry⁸, Leigh Brezler⁹, Aleena M Wojcieszek¹⁰, Miranda Davies-Tuck³, Michael Coory⁸, Emily Callander¹¹, Sailesh Kumar⁸, Vicki Clifton⁸, Susannah H Leisher¹², Hannah Blencowe¹³, Madeline Forbes⁸, Jessica Sexton⁸, David A Ellwood¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; International Stillbirth Alliance, Australia. Electronic address: vicki.flenady@mater.uq.edu.au.
² NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Australia.
³ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
⁴ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; Women and Babies Research, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health University of Sydney, Australia.
⁵ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; International Stillbirth Alliance, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Australia.
⁶ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
⁷ Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
⁸ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia.
⁹ Stillbirth Foundation, Australia.
¹⁰ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; International Stillbirth Alliance, Australia.
¹¹ Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
¹² NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; International Stillbirth Alliance, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, USA.
¹³ Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH), The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
¹⁴ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), South Brisbane, Australia; International Stillbirth Alliance, Australia; Griffith University and Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Australia.

PMID: 33092699
DOI: 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.09.005

Abstract

Stillbirth is a major public health problem with an enormous mortality burden and psychosocial impact on parents, families and the wider community both globally and in Australia. In 2015, Australia's late gestation stillbirth rate was over 30% higher than that of the best-performing countries globally, highlighting the urgent need for action. We present an overview of the foundations which led to the establishment of Australia's NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (Stillbirth CRE) in 2017 and highlight key activities in the following areas: Opportunities to expand and improve collaborations between research teams; Supporting the conduct and development of innovative, high quality, collaborative research that incorporates a strong parent voice; Promoting effective translation of research into health policy and/or practice; and the Regional and global work of the Stillbirth CRE. We highlight the first-ever Senate Inquiry into Stillbirth in Australia in 2018. These events ultimately led to the development of a National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan for Australia with the aims of reducing stillbirth rates by 20% over the next five years, reducing the disparity in stillbirth rates between advantaged and disadvantaged communities, and improving care for all families who experience this loss.

Keywords: Advocacy; Bereavement care; Policy; Prevention; Stillbirth.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Australia
Female
Fetal Death
Health Policy*
Humans
Parents / psychology*
Patient Advocacy*
Pregnancy
Research
Stillbirth / psychology*