Reducing stillbirth and improving care for affected families through high quality research, clinical practice improvement and raising public awareness.
 

News Flash

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Gold Coast Marathon

A message from Heidi Mules, Gold Coast Marathon Fundraiser 

"On 7th July 2013, the day of the Gold Coast Marathon, our daughter Sophie would have been 19 months old. Unfortunately she was stillborn at 41 weeks in 2011. Her death was the result of what is medically termed an 'accidental placenta abruption', meaning there was no known cause, nor was there any way to predict it was going to occur.
To commemorate her life, Ned and I will be participating in the Gold Coast marathon to fund raise for the Australian and New Zealand Still Birth Alliance (ANZSA). We hope that with further funding and research, associations such as this will be one step closer to determining the 'why' that constantly haunts us, and 'how to prevent this happening again'.

I will be almost 8 months pregnant on this date, so will graciously be participating in the 5.7km walk, and Ned will be running the 10km challenge.

Please give as generously as you are able to. It will mean a lot to Ned, myself, and other families who have been through a similar tragedy."

Sophie Mule's Memorial Fundraising Page: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/heidi_mules

If you or anyone you know would like to fund-raise on behalf of ANZSA, search for the Australia and New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance on www.Everydayhero.com.au  or find our page here.

Please also read about her story here:

http://pearlsofwillsdom.com/2013/06/10/love-and-loss-the-tragedy-of-stillbirth/

 

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ISA Annual Conference 2013. Hanoi, Vietnam - 16th to 18th October

 

Please click HERE for more details.

Region and International Conference on Stillbirth and Perinatal Death Prevention: It will be an exciting opportunity to bring together researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, bereaved families, medical students and support organizations from many different countries to share and discuss knowledge, experiences, research and application in reality.

 

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SIDS and Kids

If you are a social worker, health professional, counsellor, childcare worker, chaplain or primary or secondary carer, you may be interested in attending these FREE sessions. SIDS and Kids Queensland will be hosting two informal information sessions:

• Thirty minute informal Safe Sleeping session touching on the basic 6 “Sleep Safe my Baby” recommendations and the resources available from SIDS and Kids Queensland • Hour session workshop on the grief and bereavement process and what services are available to a grieving family.

For more information, PLEASE CLICK HERE  

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 International Neonatal Nursing Conference 2013

5th - 8th September 2013, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Visit http://www.coinn2013.com/ for full details and program information.

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2013 ANZSA and PSANZ Perinatal Mortality Group Workshop - 18th APRIL

Download the flyer and registration form for this workshop to be held on Thursday 18th April, 2013 in Adelaide, South Australia. Please see the detailed Program for the day HERE.

 

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"Beyond the Numbers - Maternal Deaths and Neo-natal Mortality" Workshop

Please view presentations here.

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XX FIGO World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics
7 - 12 October 2012 in Rome

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Bringing stillbirth out of the shadows for all women having a baby in Australia

Friday, 14 September 2012

A recent editorial in the Medical Journal of Australia asks the question "Can Australia rise to the challenge of reducing the rate of avoidable stillbirths?".

Med J Aust 2012; 197 (5): 256-257.

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New report on perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity in Tasmania

Friday, 14 September 2012

The Council of Obstetric & Pediatric Mortality & Morbidity in Tasmania have released their 2010 report.

The report can be accessed via the Council's website.

 

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Society for Gynecologic Investigation Summit comes to Brisbane in August

Wednesday, 20 June, 2012

The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research will host the 2012 SGI Summit - "Prematurity and stillbirth: antecedents, mechanisms and sequelae" at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 3-5. For more details about the summit, including the call for abstracts, visit their website here.

 

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New report on perinatal and maternal mortality in New Zealand released

Wednesday, 20 June, 2012

The Sixth Report of the New Zealand Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC) reporting on perinatal and maternal mortality for 2010 was released last week.

The report can be accessed here.

 

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SIDS and Kids Queensland free relaxation and meditation workshop

Thursday, 3 May, 2012

SIDS and Kids invites you and your bereaved families to our free relaxation and meditation workshop on this Saturday 5th of May at SIDS and Kids, 68 Creek Rd, Mt Gravatt. There will be an intro into meditation, yoga, aromatherapy and why creating peace and calm is important for bereaved families. Free aromatherapy candle too and morning tea provided!! RSVP to (07) 3849 7122 or estherelliott@sidsqld.com.au by Friday.

 

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Brochure for parents: Pregnancy - your baby's movements and what they mean

Friday, 20 April, 2012

ANZSA has put together this guidance for parents on monitoring their baby's movements during pregnancy, and what to do if there is decreased activity.

Please note - the brochure is best printed on A4, double-sided and landscape format.

For printed copies - these will be provided on a cost-recovery basis. Please contact ANZSA using the enquiry form, stating how many copies are required, for a quote.

 

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IMPROVE program - workshops across Australia in 2012 

Friday, 20 April, 2012

IMPROVE (IMproving Perinatal Review and Outcome Via Education) workshops will be held at various locations across Australia this year, including Hobart, Adelaide, Darwin and Mackay. Further information will be posted here soon. To read more about IMPROVE please follow this link.

 

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Australian and New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance Newsletter December 2011

Friday, 30 December, 2011

ANZSA Newsletter December 2011

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ABC The Health Report - Stillbirth Autopsy

Wednesday, 21 September, 2011

Adrian Charlies (ANZSA Chair) had the pleasure of being interviewed for the ABC Health Report.

Please click HERE to view the transcript as well as listen to the podcast of the interview aired September 19, 2011.

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 100 Babies Died Needlessly - Report

Thursday, 28 July, 2011

Hayden Donnell summarises the release of The Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee's (PMMRC) fifth annual report assessing the deaths of babies and their mothers in New Zealand. The report was released July 28, 2011 and brings to light the number of preventable deaths, as well as, further recommendations for actions to move forward the advancement of stillbirth avoidance. For the article and more information, please check here.

 

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Stillbirth Science, Life Matters, ABC Radio National

Thursday, 16 June, 2011.

Associate Professor Vicki Flenady was interviewed this morning on ABC National Radio with regards to maternal sleeping positions and other risk factors relating to stillbirth. For more information please click here.

Stacey T, Thompson JMD, Mitchell EA, Ekeroma A, Zuccollo JM. Association between maternal sleep practices and risk of late stillbirth: a case-control study. BMJ 2011;342:d3403

 

Chappell L, Smith GCS. Should pregnant women sleep on their left? BMJ 2011;342:d3659

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New Paper on Sleeping Positions and Stillbirth

 

Prevention strategies to reduce the risk of stillbirth in late pregnancy remain limited.  Many of these deaths are unexplained, despite a thorough examination, leaving parents and care providers struggling with the reasons why.  The static stillbirth rate for over 20 years, when all other mortality statistics have shown an improvement, suggests we need new leads.

 

This interesting study by Stacey, Thompson, Mitchell, Ekeroma, Zuccollo and McCowan (2011) shows the requirement for large studies to identify new potential factors. This study is important because it generates new ideas for closer investigation in future studies. These future studies need to carefully take into account confounding factors which may account for the death that which are linked to maternal sleep position - where sleep position may not be the true reason for the death. Studies need to also address whether there is a biologically plausible mechanism that will allow us to understand how sleep position could result in stillbirth.  

 

The authors of the paper and the editorialist (Chapell L, Smith GCS, 2011) all agree that this is a preliminary result that needs to be confirmed.  Based on the information that is available, expectant mothers should not change their behaviour.  This is part of the continuing research effort to reduce the risk of stillbirth.  Often research goes down blind alleys.  We won't know if this is a blind alley until further work is done.

 

There are a number of known important risk factors for stillbirth for which we must offer advice and support including overweight, obesity, smoking and maternal age over 35 which contributes to around one-third of stillbirths. Smoking cessation programs in pregnancy are effective however many women are not provided with the support they need to stop smoking - this must be addressed as a priority. While we work to create awareness of these known risk factors, it is hoped that the planned study by ANZSA will help to resolve some of the unanswered questions on maternal sleep position and stillbirth.   

 

Stacey T, Thompson JMD, Mitchell EA, Ekeroma A, Zuccollo JM. Association between maternal sleep practices and risk of late stillbirth: a case-control study. BMJ 2011;342:d3403

 

Chappell L, Smith GCS. Should pregnant women sleep on their left? BMJ 2011;342:d3659

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The Lancet's Stillbirth Series Report 2400 Stillbirths Each Year in ANZ

The Lancet Medical Journal published the Lancet's Stillbirth Series yesterday Thursday 14th April 2011 with the aim of highlighting this important global health issue.   Simultaneous launches were held in London, New York, and Hobart in partnership with the Lancet, the International Stillbirth Alliance and its member organisations, World Health Organisation, Save the Children, UNCIEF and UNFPA.  Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this series aims to prioritize stillbirth in the context of maternal, child and newborn survival with the overall goal of bringing together epidemiology, evidence for interventions, costing estimates and policy analysis to guide decision making and promote action with measurable change by 2020.   To access the six papers, two articles and eight comments please visit here.

 

There are over 2.6 million stillbirths worldwide every year, with 98% of the burden in high and middle income countries.  In ANZ there are 2400 families who lose their precious baby to this global health problem.  Four ANZ experts spoke to the media yesterday providing information on numbers, causes, interventions, disparities and the enormous impact this has on families.  To listen to this media briefing, and read our ANZ Fact Sheet please visit the Australian and New Zealand Science Media Centre.

 

For further information about the Lancet's Stillbirth Series please visit here.