Learning from bereaved parents

Sands is committed to reducing inequalities in pregnancy loss and baby deaths. We believe that listening to parents can save babies' lives. In the UK, around 4800 babies are stillborn or die within their first 28 days of life (Office for National Statistics, 2023).

Over the past 10 years, UK stillbirth and neonatal death rates have generally declined, but families from Black and Asian backgrounds remain more likely to experience pregnancy loss or the death of a baby compared with White families (Draper et al, 2023). If between 2017 and 2021, the rates of stillbirth and neonatal death for Black and Asian babies had been the same as for White babies, 1704 more babies would have survived. No baby should be at an increased risk of dying because of their ethnicity.

There are many complex factors that can affect an individual baby's chances of dying. However, the accounts of Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity women and birthing people indicate that systemic issues and discrimination contribute to unsafe maternity and neonatal care for some families (Birthrights, 2022; Muslim Women's Network UK, 2022; Peter and Wheeler, 2022).