Addressing stillbirth inequities in Australia: Steps towards a better future

Alice R Rumbold; Jane Yelland; Deanna Stuart-Butler; Madeline Forbes; Clemence Due; Frances M Boyle; Philippa Middleton

doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2020.08.012

Addressing stillbirth inequities in Australia: Steps towards a better future

Women Birth. 2020 Nov;33(6):520-525. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.08.012.

Authors

Alice R Rumbold¹, Jane Yelland², Deanna Stuart-Butler³, Madeline Forbes³, Clemence Due⁴, Frances M Boyle⁵, Philippa Middleton⁶

Affiliations

¹ SAHMRI Women and Kids, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address: alice.rumbold@sahmri.com.
² Intergenerational Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Australia.
³ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), Australia.
⁴ School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
⁵ NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland (MRI-UQ), Australia; Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Australia.
⁶ SAHMRI Women and Kids, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

PMID: 33092701
DOI: 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.08.012

Abstract

Persistent disparities in stillbirth risk and care are present in Australia. Eliminating these disparities is possible with a commitment to enhancing and scaling up models of culturally safe maternity care shown to be effective for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and those of migrant and refugee backgrounds. Campaigns to improve public awareness of stillbirth also play an important role in reducing stillbirth risk and consequences. To achieve reach and impact in communities at risk, messaging needs to be framed around the social and cultural context of women's lives. Here we describe important initiatives underway within the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence to develop a coordinated national approach to stillbirth prevention and care in communities that bear a disproportionate burden of stillbirth.

Keywords: Indigenous; Maternal health services; Migrant; Refugee; Stillbirth.

MeSH terms

Australia
Cultural Competency
Culturally Competent Care*
Female
Fetal Death / prevention & control*
Health Services Accessibility
Health Services, Indigenous / organization & administration*
Healthcare Disparities*
Humans
Maternal Health Services / organization & administration*
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Pregnancy
Refugees
Stillbirth / ethnology*
Transients and Migrants