Britain has worse rate of stillbirths than Estonia and Poland: more than 3,500 babies are stillborn in the UK each year despite efforts to reduce the number 

  • Britain's stillborn rate remains high – 4.6 per 1,000 births after 24 weeks
  • Office for National Statistics says 3,564 babies were stillborn in UK in 2014 
  • Jeremy Hunt recently pledged to cut stillbirth rate by 50 per cent by 2030
  • Britain ranked 21st out of 35 wealthy developed nations for stillbirth rates

By Colin Fernandez, Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published: 18:29 EST, 7 February 2016 | Updated: 19:25 EST, 7 February 2016

More than 3,500 babies in Britain are stillborn every year – a higher rate than in Estonia, Poland and Croatia, official figures show.

The stillbirth rate in Britain remains stubbornly high – 4.6 per 1,000 births after 24 weeks – despite efforts to reduce it.

According to the latest calculations by the Office for National Statistics, 3,564 babies were stillborn in the UK in 2014.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt recently pledged to cut the stillbirth rate by 20 per cent in England by 2020 and 50 per cent by 2030.

According to the latest calculations by the Office for National Statistics, 3,564 babies were stillborn in the UK in 2014

According to the latest calculations by the Office for National Statistics, 3,564 babies were stillborn in the UK in 2014

A separate study published in medical journal The Lancet last month ranked Britain 21st out of 35 wealthy developed nations for stillbirth rates.

The research found the UK’s rate was higher than countries including Estonia, Poland, and Croatia.

It also revealed Britain was lagging behind other countries when it came to reducing its rate.

Charlotte Bevan, of stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, said: ‘Our progress is way behind countries like the Netherlands, who are moving four times faster than we are to save lives.

‘It’s devastating for families not just to think their child might have lived if only they’d received the right care, but also to know another child tomorrow will die in similar circumstances because units aren’t implementing guidance.’ She added: ‘We know 60 per cent of babies who die before they are born and close to their due dates might have been saved if basic guidelines in antenatal care were followed.

‘We have much of the information we need to save up to 600 lives every year.’ Professor Joy Lawn, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has said that most stillbirths are ‘preventable’ and that the ‘shockingly slow progress’ on the problem is ‘unacceptable’.

The Royal College of Midwives pointed to a ‘critical’ shortage of 2,600 midwives in England as hindering reductions in the stillbirth rate.

A rise in the number of babies born to women in their thirties and forties – with the increased risk of complications in pregnancy – is thought to be linked to the high number of stillbirths. The average age of a mother in 2014 was 30.2.

Other factors implicated in stillbirths include maternal obesity and smoking.

A Department of Health spokesman insisted ‘progress has been made’ but said the rate was ‘still far too high’.

He added: ‘We want the NHS to be the safest place in the world to have a baby and our ambition is to halve stillbirths through a campaign launched by the Health Secretary, because we want to ensure fewer families go through this heartache.

‘With more than 1,600 additional midwives since 2010, as well as 6,000 currently in training, we will support local maternity services to make sure every baby and mother receives consistently high quality care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.’

Many stillbirths are caused by problems with the placenta – the lifeline providing the baby with oxygen and nourishment in the womb

Many stillbirths are caused by problems with the placenta – the lifeline providing the baby with oxygen and nourishment in the womb

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