Stillbirth awareness program ‘carries risks’

A population-wide program targeting pregnant women could lead to unintended harm to individual mothers and babies, experts warn

A Federal Government plan for preventing stillbirths could cause more harm than good if not implemented and monitored carefully, a leading specialist in maternal-fetal medicine warns. 

Professor Euan Wallace, from Safer Care Victoria and Melbourne’s Monash University, says some of the government’s ‘awareness’ measures could lead to early delivery of babies, putting them at developmental risk.