Recommendations to help address the stillbirth rate in Wales are published today by the Welsh Assembly.  The report from the Assembly's Health and Social Care Committee follows an inquiry into stillbirth in Wales, in which Sands was involved. Sands has welcomed the Committee's findings which, it says, are wide-ranging and sensible.

In a press statement, Sands Research and Prevention Advisor Charlotte Bevan, said the charity has been supporting bereaved parents in Wales and across the UK for more than 30 years, and in the last five years has been campaigning for greater awareness of stillbirths.

"We have long argued that the tragic and unexplained death of a baby near its due date is preventable and not unavoidable. We therefore welcome the Committee’s report which is both wide-ranging and sensible, recognising that there is no single golden bullet to bringing down the unacceptably high number of stillbirths in Wales, " she said.



"It will, as the report outlines, require a strategy that includes increased public health awareness, better training for health professionals and more funding for research.  This week at least one baby in Wales will die close to its due date; its death will be unexpected, devastating and probably remain unexplained. It’s vital then that the Welsh government actions the recommendations of this report because if they do, there is a very real possibility that that baby might live."



To read a copy of the report, click here.



A copy of the Welsh Assembly's press release can be found here.



Interviews with parent case studies will be broadcast on various Welsh news programmes, both radio and television, throughout the day.  Wales Online have today published a detailed feature about the report, including comment from Sands: click here.

Updates on further press coverage will be available in the media section of the website over the next few days.