WQ95097 (e) Tabled on 20/11/2024

Will the Welsh Government introduce targets to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths?

Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care | Answered on 28/11/2024

The loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy is a distressing experience for those affected. All families who experience late pregnancy loss at maternity units in Wales are supported by bereavement midwives. In early pregnancy all health boards offer psychological and emotional support through early pregnancy assessment services. 

We are committed to reducing stillbirths and neonatal deaths and provision of equitable care by the implementation of safe and effective services for all families.

MBRRACE-UK is a national audit programme that collects information about all late foetal losses, stillbirths, neonatal deaths and maternal deaths across the UK. The work conducted by MBRRACE-UK forms part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP), which is funded by the Welsh Government and NHS England. 

Since MBRRACE reporting began in 2013 there has been an overall decline in stillbirth rates but we recognise there is still more to do.