Federal government commits to reducing stillbirths

The federal government has committed to tackling Australia's heartbreaking stillbirth rate. It's investing 52 million dollars in research and education, as well as bereavement services for families who have lost babies.In the last two decades there have been significant advancements in health care and medical practices. But one thing has remained the same - Australia's stillbirth rate. Since 1997 more than 2,000 babies have died each year, either before or during delivery. And a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare AIHW shows stillbirth rates are still significantly higher among Indigenous people. The Institute's Michael Frost says a number of factors may be contributing to Indigenous perinatal deaths - those are deaths in the weeks before or after birth. Health Minister Greg Hunt says the government will develop a National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan in collaboration with state and territory governments, aimed at reducing the rate of stillbirth in Australia by 20 per cent over three years. In line with the report's recommendations, the government is also seeking to improve access to publicly-funded stillbirth autopsies. They aren't routinely carried out on stillborn babies, and they can cost grieving families thousands of dollars. The University of Queensland's Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth will receive three million dollars in funding for its Safe Baby Bundle project, which aims to reduce the rate of stillbirth after 28 weeks gestation by at least 20 per cent.