Stillbirth is a tragic and profound experience that affects more than 2,000 families in Australia every year. In Australia, of approximately 820 births, six babies are stillborn every day. Stillbirth is defined as the birth of a baby without signs of life, at 20 or more completed weeks of gestation or at a weight of 400 grams or more.
On 4 November 2022 the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has released the first national Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard.
This clinical care standard aims to reduce unwarranted variation and improve the appropriateness of care for stillbirth prevention, and the quality of bereavement care following perinatal loss. The standard also supports the delivery of evidence-based clinical care, and promote shared decision making between patients, carers and clinicians.
The Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard includes:
- Ten quality statements describing the care that should be provided
- A set of indicators to support monitoring and quality improvement
Information and resources are available for consumers, clinicians, and healthcare services or you can download the full clinical care standard.