WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, July 13, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, alongside fellow dedicated parent advocates, providers and nonprofits, is excited to celebrate President Joe Biden signing into law the bipartisan Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024. This critical legislation amends Title V of the Social Security Act to include stillbirth and stillbirth prevention—a crucial issue that has been overlooked since Title V's inception in 1935.

The move serves as a critical call to action for state health departments across the country to use a portion of the existing $2.6 billion of Title V Block Grant funding to support evidence-based prevention programming to address the stillbirth crisis in the United States. Title V is the single largest funding mechanism to address maternal and child health issues in the United States, with services reaching more than 93% of pregnant women in 2022.

PUSH believes that families deserve to be empowered with the information and resources they need to lower their risks of stillbirth.

Currently fewer than 20 state health departments use these existing funds to address stillbirth, leaving expectant parents more vulnerable to stillbirth. This clarification will support stillbirth prevention. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) led the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act in the Senate, where it passed on unanimous consent June 11. The House approved the bill on May 15 in a vote of 408-3, where it was led by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) and Rep. Alma Adams (D-North Carolina).

"This new law is an important step in addressing the root causes of preventable stillbirth and encouraging states to make stillbirth prevention a priority,” said Samantha Durante Banerjee, Executive Director of PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy and mother to Alana, who was born still in 2013. “The twin crises of stillbirth and maternal mortality highlight our healthcare system's neglect of women's and families' needs. We have been a strong advocate for this bill from the beginning, and we remain committed to drastically cutting the stillbirth rate in the US and improving maternal health outcomes for all families."

Stillbirth, defined as the loss of a pregnancy at 20 weeks or greater gestation, is a public health crisis in the U.S. impacting more than 21,000 families every year. (source: https://www.cdc.gov/stillbirth/data-research/index.html) This means one in every 175 pregnancies in the U.S. ends in stillbirth, and racial disparities persist, with Black women two times more likely to endure a stillbirth than their White counterparts. (source: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/black-women-around-the-world-have-worse-pregnancy-outcomes/) Recent reports and data suggest that further reduction in the incidence of stillbirth is possible, highlighting that at least 25% of stillbirths are potentially preventable. (source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5785410/) That reduction would translate into as many as 6,000 babies’ lives that could be saved every year when stillbirth prevention measures are in place.

“The successful passage of The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act means the voices of thousands of grieving mothers, fathers, siblings and grandparents made a powerful difference for future families, and Congress and the President acted. This is a significant step in making stillbirth a maternal health tragedy of the past. Change is coming," said Emily Price, CEO of Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the primary stakeholder organization of the legislation.

The annual number of stillbirths far exceeds the top five leading causes of deaths among children ages 0-14 years including unintentional injuries, congenital anomalies, preterm birth, homicide, SIDS, and heart disease, combined. (source: https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/8a_Stillbirth_Prevention_Act_Issue_Brief_2023.pdf). Data from UNICEF comparing the United States to other countries shows that our nation can and must do more to prevent stillbirth. (source: https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/8a_Stillbirth_Prevention_Act_Issue_Brief_2023.pdf) The 2023 report shows that in the last two decades, the U.S. stillbirth rate declined by a negligible 0.9% per year (2000-2021), putting our progress at 152nd out of 187 countries globally. (source: https://data.unicef.org/resources/never-forgotten-stillbirth-estimates-report/)

"This bill signing during National Bereaved Parents Awareness Month is profoundly significant. As heartbroken parents, one of our most common, deepest wishes after the unexpected loss of our beloved babies is to ensure that no other families endure this tragic nightmare," says Ana Lepe Vick, PUSH Co-Founder and Director of Communications, and mother to Owen, who was born still in 2015. "The era of inadequate education and awareness about stillbirth risks and the need for improved care, even for 'textbook perfect' pregnancies, ends now. Bereaved parents who have tirelessly advocated for this life-saving bill can finally breathe a sigh of relief—our cries for help have been heard. Our babies did not die in vain; they are the true Changemakers who will save lives for generations to come."

In addition to PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act is endorsed by Healthy Birth Day, Inc., 1st Breath, Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (formerly 2020 Mom), 2 Degrees Foundation, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), March of Dimes, Measure the Placenta, Mom Congress, “Reproductive and Placental Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine”, Return to Zero: H.O.P.E., Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Every Mother Counts, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Start Healing Together, M.E.N.D. (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death), Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI), American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), What to Expect Project, Postpartum Support International, Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) Foundation, National Education Association (NEA), Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH), Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, SUDC Foundation, RH Impact, the Dieudonne Foundation, and Bump and Beyond Family Services, LCC.

Full text of the Stillbirth Prevention Act is available at Congress.gov.

Learn about PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy here.

Learn about Healthy Birth Day, Inc. here.

Laura Evans Manatos
Laura Evans Media
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