The UK had about 4,100 stillbirths in 2009 and, with a rate of 3.5 per 1,000 births, (USA rates; 3 per 1000) was ranked 33rd in a list of 193 countries - down from 26th in 1995.
Stillbirth is the 5th highest cause of death in the world.
11 sets of UK parents every day will take home their newborn baby in a coffin
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And George isn't even included in those UK statistics as he was born still before 24 weeks.
It's not good enough.
No, honey... It's not...
ReplyDeleteIt isn't, and I'm so sorry. I find it odd the gestation limits for stillbirth are different in the UK, because in Australia (and in the US as far as I know) it is 20w. I don't think it is right or fair to deem a loss as far along as George was a "miscarriage".
ReplyDeleteI wish the entire world could get better at eliminating stillbirth. I wish all our babies were here.
George was here. And he mattered.
xo
I somehow still can't get my head around the fact that medical science hasn't managed to do better than this yet- in the US, the UK, wherever- it's just so wrong.
ReplyDeleteStatistics make me lurch. I used to think SIDs was so horrible until I learned stillbirths outnumber them by a lot. It is unfair and I wonder where all the outrage is. Oh yeah, we're all grieving.
ReplyDeleteIt most certainly is not. I always thought that developed countries had like superb medical facilities that could just about prevent anything. I know better though, and I know that when it comes to medical management probably you guys are way better than what we have.
ReplyDeleteBut those statistics are scary. No statistics on this count would ever be comforting.
I do not want George to have been a part of the statistics. But the fact that he does not even 'count' is horrible.
These are silent losses.
Many hugs.
I listened to them announce this on the news like it was new. I wanted to scream. We KNOW, we have known for way too long that this is happening to so many parents.
ReplyDeleteAnd George is precious and he matters and he counts. he definitely counts.
No, it is not nearly good enough.
ReplyDeleteI was speaking with a colleague yesterday who worked on a stillbirth study here and she described how difficult it was for everyone on the study team. Still birth is something that even researchers have a hard time looking at. The conversation continued though and even though she did not like working on the study she is creating a pregnancy loss support system for one of the big hospitals here that sees many high risk maternity patients. So she has been moved to help women who suffer pregnancy losses. Sorry that was a long, hardly related story.
I hear you. George matters dearly to those who love him and while he's not part of the number count, just because of a definition, he definitely counts in ways that are more important than that.
(((hugs)))