Can Australia rise to the challenge of reducing the rate of avoidable stillbirths?
The large, well conducted study by Drysdale and colleagues published in this issue of the Journal shows a 2.4-fold increase in the odds of late-gestation stillbirth for women giving birth in Australia who were born in South Asia, compared with women born in Australia.1 The relative risk was most pronounced at 41 weeks’ gestation, when there was a concerning fivefold increase. These findings concur with international studies and require careful consideration.
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Vicki Flenady is a member of the Board of the Australian and New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance (ANZSA) and President of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand. David Ellwood is a member of the Board of the ANZSA and the current President (Chair) of the International Stillbirth Alliance.