Information for parents – Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard

The Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard describes the health care that should be provided to women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, from before pregnancy to after a stillbirth occurs. It also addresses bereavement care for parents who have experienced any perinatal loss. Find out more about what the standard means, and the other resources available.

What is Stillbirth?

Stillbirth is when a baby dies before birth. In Australia, it is defined as the death of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy, or that weighs 400 grams or more.

Six babies are stillborn in Australia every day, meaning that one in every 140 pregnancies ends with stillbirth.

Some of the common causes of stillbirth in Australia include abnormalities with the developing baby, premature birth and health conditions of the mother. While not all stillbirths can be prevented, there are ways to reduce the risk before and during pregnancy.

Stillbirth has a tragic and profound impact on those who experience it. Being aware of stillbirth, and what can be done to help reduce the risk, is important if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Information resources

Stillbirth video series

The purpose of these videos is to help raise awareness of stillbirth and have been developed to provide insight and advice for expectant and bereaved parents from a mother with lived experience of stillbirth. 

Understanding stillbirth - a mother's story

A message to expectant parents from a mother who has experienced stillbirth

A message to bereaved parents from a mother who has experienced stillbirth

Understanding stillbirth - a mother's story

A message to expectant parents from a mother who has experienced stillbirth

A message to bereaved parents from a mother who has experienced stillbirth

What the standard means for you

The Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard contains ten quality statements describing the care that should be provided to women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy, from before pregnancy to after a stillbirth occurs. It also addresses bereavement care for parents who have experienced any perinatal loss. Find out what the standard says and what it means for you below. Reading these statements will inform discussions with your clinician.

What the standard says

Useful information and resources from other organisations