Public Health Series: Social inequalities and stillbirth

Abstract

The newest MBRRACE-UK report on perinatal mortality noted a steady reduction in the overall rates of stillbirth nationally.1 Across the whole of the UK, the rate of stillbirth fell from 4.2 per 1,000 births in 2013 to 3.3 per 1,000 births in 2020.1 However, the same report highlights stark inequalities in outcomes for Black and South Asian families. On average, Black African women are more than twice as likely to experience a stillbirth compared to white women, while for Black Caribbean women the risk is 87% higher.