GPs are being advised to routinely discuss fetal movements with pregnant women during antenatal visits and to create an action plan in the event they change, according to Australia’s first clinical standard on stillbirth. 

Launched on Friday, the new guide aims to reduce stillbirth rates, especially in late gestation, through more open discussion and better management of risk factors. 

It states that stillbirths account for seven out of every 1000 births nationally – a rate that has not significantly changed in the past two decades. 

But the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, which developed the resource, says 20-30% of these deaths are considered preventable.