Stillbirth numbers unchanged

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Over the last decade, the number of stillbirths in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has hardly changed.

In 2006, the stillbirth rate was 5.3 per 1,000 births, according to the report, from the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH).

In 2000, the figure was 5.4 per 1,000 births and in 1997 it was 5.3.

"The findings from this report suggest that demographic factors known to be associated with stillbirths such as obesity, ethnicity, deprivation and maternal age may be contributing to this lack of progress," the study said.

In addition, many stillborn babies were small for their gestational age, suggesting this may be an "important factor", according to the report. However, the report did note some improvements in the number of babies dying in the first month after birth (neonatal death rate) in England and Wales.

Since 2000, this rate has declined "significantly", according to the report, from 3.9 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 3.4 in 2006. And the number of babies dying in the neonatal period from twin pregnancies has also fallen, from 22.3 per 1,000 births in 2000 to 19.3 per 1,000 births in 2006.

The number of babies dying from twin pregnancies as a result of stillbirth or in the first week of life has also fallen, from 35.3 per 1,000 total births in 2000 to 27.2 per 1,000 in 2006.

But it is the stillbirth rate among single babies which is still concerning the researchers, drawn from across eight Royal Colleges including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

Mothers under 20 and over 40 had the highest rates of stillbirth in 2006, at 5.6 per 1,000 births and 8.1 respectively. These age groups also had the highest rates of death in the perinatal period (immediately before birth and in the first seven days of life) and the neonatal period (the first month after birth).