Stress‘ heightens risk of stillbirths’

Healthcare ‘ can’t solve problem alone’

HEALTH: Mothers who experience psychological stress while pregnant are more likely to have stillborn children, new research has found.

Women from the most deprived socio- economic group were at almost triple the risk of stillbirth than those at the other end of the scale, a Manchester research centre found.

MOTHERS WHO experience psychological stress while pregnant are more likely to have stillborn children, new research has found.

Women from the most deprived socio- economic group were at almost triple the risk of stillbirth than those at the other end of the scale, the study by scientists from Tommy’s Manchester Research Centre discovered.

Unemployed mothers were almost three times more likely to have stillborn babies, says the research, which found that high levels of stress doubled the risk.

The scientists studied more than 1,000 births across 41 UK hospitals between 2014 and 2016. They combined information typically used to measure stillbirth risk with an interviewer- led questionnaire about mothers’ behaviour and social characteristics.

London- based mother Louise Joines, 36, gave birth to stillborn son Gabriel in December 2017 af ter a physically healthy but psychologically stressful pregnancy. Ms Joines, a deputy headteacher, said: “I found out I was expecting Gabriel just as I ended a strained relationship with his dad, so it was a very stressful pregnancy from the start.

“I told my midwife about my situation but sadly nothing came of it, so that’s a big ‘ what if’ – a friend who had mental health care during pregnancy wasn’t allowed to go past 40 weeks, and Gabriel was born at 41 weeks, so perhaps if I’d been given the right support he would be alive today.

“We need better systems to protect pregnant mothers, and I hope that sharing Gabriel’s legacy will help to prevent other families losing a baby.”

The UK’s stillbirth rate is 24th out of 49 high- income countries according to researchers, who say the significant variation between developed countries suggests more could be done to prevent deaths.

Tommy’s chief executive Jane Brewin said: “One in 250 UK pregnancies end in stillbirth, and while attending antenatal appointments can reduce the risk, this research shows that stillbirth is not a problem we can solve with healthcare alone. The complex relationships identified here between stillbirth and social stresses make it clear that the Government’s prevention strategy must extend beyond the NHS.”