Stillbirths: Need for more awareness

THERE have been a number of high-profile stillbirths in recent years, but campaigners say there is still not enough awareness of what it means to families.

Earlier this month, Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn announced that their daughter Poppy had been delivered stillborn, with Dawn eight-and-a-half months pregnant. The lives of Kelly Brook, Amanda Holden and Lily Allen have also been hit by the tragedy of stillbirth.

The term is used to describe the loss of a baby before birth or during labour, on or after the 24th week of pregnancy.

In 2010 in Scotland, the number of stillbirths was the lowest ever recorded, but hundreds of Scottish families were still devastated by the death of a baby late in pregnancy.

There were 291 stillbirths in Scotland in the 12 month period, a rate of 4.9 per 1000 births.

But the subject still remains taboo for many people, who struggle to know what to say to parents who have had a stillborn child.