Fall in number of stillborn babies

According to a report by Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH), there were 5.2 stillborn babies per 1,000 births in 2007, down from 5.7 in 2002. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the rate remained steady at 5.7, while between 2005 and 2006 it fell to 5.3.

Other data shows fewer babies are dying in their first month of life, with the figure standing at 3.3 per 1,000 births, the lowest death rate since 2000.

But the report, which covers England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, warns these figures could rise again as women are having babies when they are 40 or over, which increases the risk of delivering stillborn babies.

However, women under 20 are more likely to have babies which die in the first month of life, with a death rate of 4.4 per 1,000 births.

The study said: ‘This may reflect the fact that while teenage pregnancies and pregnancies in women greater than 40 years are both associated with preterm delivery and low birthweight, older women have a higher incidence of antenatal complications such as essential hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and placental abruption, which can all contribute to stillbirth.’

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