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.
Consultation and Development
The ACSQHC has developed a Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard to support best practice care for stillbirth prevention and investigation, and bereavement care following perinatal loss.
The national Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard was developed in consultation with a topic working group of clinicians, researchers, and women with lived experience of stillbirth. Public consultation on the Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard was carried out between February and March 2022, and the Standard was formally released by the Commission on 4 November 2022.
Aim and Content
The Stillbirth 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 promotes shared decision making between patients, carers, and clinicians.
The ACSQHC 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 for consumers, clinicians, and healthcare services
At WHA, we encourage all maternity services to access the readily available ACSQHC Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard as part of a national effort to ensure consistent evidence-based approaches to stillbirth prevention and bereavement care to women and families following perinatal loss.
