{"id":60618,"date":"2023-10-16T11:26:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T15:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?p=60618"},"modified":"2023-10-16T11:26:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T15:26:15","slug":"is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nonkululeko Shibula, Umzanyana Birth Services, from the Stillbirth Advocacy Working Group.<\/em><\/p>\n

I ran into a neighbor as I entered the elevator, and she unintentionally triggered a breakdown I tried my best to avoid. “Congratulations! Is it a boy or a girl?” she cheerfully asked, not realizing that I had had a stillborn<\/a> baby. I was torn and conflicted by those kind words. I could only muster a soft reply, mentioning that \u201cit\u201d was a girl. A stark reminder of the loss I had experienced was the silent tension that overwhelmed us during the uncomfortable elevator ride. On the sixth floor, I left in a hurry because I couldn’t handle the weight of the situation.<\/p>\n

When I got home, I was greeted by the cozy warmth and appealing scent my mother had lovingly infused into the house. I sought peace in the safety of my room because I was emotionally spent and exhausted. I lay in bed, trying to find peace of mind, longing for the quiet to let me work through my loss. The sound of a baby crying from a nearby house crept through the walls as I closed my eyes. I desperately attempted to block out the haunting sound by hiding my head in a pillow, but the cries continued in the distance. My full breasts\u2014which were now aching\u2014and my empty arms only helped to worsen the pain in my broken heart, as my breasts started leaking immediately after I woke up from my sleep.<\/p>\n

My mother sensed my suffering and offered encouragement to ease it. She suggested using cabbage leaves to alleviate the discomfort of my engorged breasts, a small but tangible step towards reclaiming some sense of control over my postpartum body. She also went to the pharmacy looking for medicine that might assist in reducing my milk production. Later, I noticed my postpartum body in the mirror while dressing after my bath; the sight left a lasting impression on me as a tragic reminder of the mental and emotional changes I had gone through.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A silent beautiful story that will forever inspire me – Baby Eyenkosi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve been tortured by a lot of unanswered questions throughout my experience with death. It is a constant reminder of my dreams and hopes for my child, which were brutally crushed when I was at the tender age of 18, a time in life when dreams are still forming and hopes are held high. Yet my journey took an unexpected turn, just as I was starting out on my own path, in my first year in University; I found myself grappling with the haunting specter of death. The pain and grief of that loss have never truly left me, but they have also driven me to find meaning and healing in the midst of darkness.<\/p>\n

The journey through the abyss of loss and the subsequent process of recovery transformed me in profound ways. It was a process that demanded resiliency beyond measure, as I learned to navigate the complex of grief while still trying to find my way in the world. This experience cultivated within me a deep well of empathy, not just for my own pain, but for the struggles of others as well. I discovered firsthand the power of human connection in times of profound suffering, as my family offered solace and understanding.<\/p>\n

Through sharing my story, I hope to shed light on the often silent and invisible pain of stillbirth. I want to raise awareness about the challenges that come with losing a child before they even take their first breath, and to provide a source of comfort for those who have endured similar losses. My journey has taught me that despite the darkness that life can sometimes cast upon us, there is always room for growth, healing, and the potential to help others find their way through the shadows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Nonkululeko Shibula, Umzanyana Birth Services, from the Stillbirth Advocacy Working Group. I ran into a neighbor as I entered the elevator, and she unintentionally triggered a breakdown I tried my best to avoid. “Congratulations! Is it a boy or a girl?” she cheerfully asked, not realizing that I had had a stillborn baby. I … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7211,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHealthy Newborn Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A certified doula and the founder of non-profit Umzanyana Birth Services in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa shares her story of stillbirth loss.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d - Healthy Newborn Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A certified doula and the founder of non-profit Umzanyana Birth Services in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa shares her story of stillbirth loss.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Healthy Newborn Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-16T15:26:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"HNN Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"HNN Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d - Healthy Newborn Network\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-16T15:26:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-16T15:26:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1d39aa815df3123275f62e3f3d9a417f\"},\"description\":\"A certified doula and the founder of non-profit Umzanyana Birth Services in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa shares her story of stillbirth loss.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png\",\"width\":461,\"height\":273,\"caption\":\"A silent beautiful story that will forever inspire me - Baby Eyenkosi\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/\",\"name\":\"Healthy Newborn Network\",\"description\":\"Addressing critical knowledge gaps in newborn health.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1d39aa815df3123275f62e3f3d9a417f\",\"name\":\"HNN Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0762878efbad44b50487ac3aaf87e6ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0762878efbad44b50487ac3aaf87e6ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"HNN Team\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/author\/hnn_admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Healthy Newborn Network","description":"A certified doula and the founder of non-profit Umzanyana Birth Services in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa shares her story of stillbirth loss.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d - Healthy Newborn Network","og_description":"A certified doula and the founder of non-profit Umzanyana Birth Services in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa shares her story of stillbirth loss.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/","og_site_name":"Healthy Newborn Network","article_published_time":"2023-10-16T15:26:15+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png"}],"author":"HNN Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"HNN Team","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/","url":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/","name":"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d - Healthy Newborn Network","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png","datePublished":"2023-10-16T15:26:15+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-16T15:26:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1d39aa815df3123275f62e3f3d9a417f"},"description":"A certified doula and the founder of non-profit Umzanyana Birth Services in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa shares her story of stillbirth loss.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Baby-Eyenkosi.png","width":461,"height":273,"caption":"A silent beautiful story that will forever inspire me - Baby Eyenkosi"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u201cIs it a boy or a girl?\u201d"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/","name":"Healthy Newborn Network","description":"Addressing critical knowledge gaps in newborn health.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1d39aa815df3123275f62e3f3d9a417f","name":"HNN Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0762878efbad44b50487ac3aaf87e6ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0762878efbad44b50487ac3aaf87e6ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"HNN Team"},"url":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/blog\/author\/hnn_admin\/"}]}},"featured_image":"","author_name":"HNN Team","author_image":"<img src=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/themes\/hnn\/dist\/images\/member-default.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\"\/>","acf_custom_fields":{"publication_date":"20231016","ft_img_caption":"","authors":[{"ID":9824,"user_firstname":"Nonkululeko","user_lastname":"Shibula","nickname":"Nshibula","user_nicename":"nshibula","display_name":"Nonkululeko Shibula","user_email":"umzanyanabirth@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2023-06-23 11:29:42","user_description":"","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7d1b405f38f532496e2b1d466eb8de66?s=96&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7d1b405f38f532496e2b1d466eb8de66?s=192&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' decoding='async'\/>"}],"additional_authors":"","partners":[{"ID":605,"post_author":"3965","post_date":"2010-05-17 00:03:57","post_date_gmt":"2010-05-17 00:03:57","post_content":"<p>The International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA), a non-profit coalition of organizations dedicated to understanding the causes and prevention of stillbirth. Our mission is to raise awareness of stillbirth and to promote global collaboration in the prevention of stillbirth and provision of appropriate care for parents whose baby is stillborn.<\/p>\r\n<p>Our vision is to reduce the risk of stillbirth and to enhance bereavement care of families who experience stillbirth through public awareness initiatives, community engagement, development and promotion of best clinical practice standards and facilitating high quality collaborative research.<br \/>\r\n <\/p>\r\n<h2>What we do<\/h2>\r\nIn collaboration with member organisations, ISA works to publicize the results of stillbirth research, and in particular to facilitate the dissemination and use of the knowledge gained through the best available research evidence. ISA does this through fostering collaboration by connecting individuals and organisations around the world through conferences, regional meetings and a reliable web-based resource.\r\n\r\nISA does not provide services to individuals, rather working with member organisations to connect people locally and globally so they can learn from one another and thereby improve standards of care within their region.","post_title":"International Stillbirth Alliance","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"international-stillbirth-alliance","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2016-01-21 00:06:42","post_modified_gmt":"2016-01-21 00:06:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?post_type=partner&p=605","menu_order":0,"post_type":"partner","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"issues":[{"ID":137,"post_author":"7211","post_date":"2015-10-21 15:21:12","post_date_gmt":"2015-10-21 15:21:12","post_content":"<p>[vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" css=\".vc_custom_1453403441710{margin-top: -60px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}\"][vc_column width=\"1\/2\"][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>More than 5,000 stillbirths occur each day, nearly half of which happen during labor and birth.<\/h2>\n<p>Stillbirths have been overlooked as a global public health crisis, in spite of the fact that often highly-preventable solutions overlap with maternal and newborn health interventions. Social taboos and stigma remain a challenge and are culturally variant. The stillbirth rate is a sensitive indicator of quality of care in pregnancy and at birth.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\"1\/2\" el_class=\"issue-stats\"][vc_row_inner content_placement=\"middle\"][vc_column_inner el_class=\"text-red\" width=\"1\/3\"][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">1.9<\/span>m<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"2\/3\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1690996796159{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">number of stillbirths that occurred in 2021<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner content_placement=\"middle\"][vc_column_inner el_class=\"text-yellow\" width=\"1\/3\"][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">20<\/span>m<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"2\/3\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1666119375673{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">projected stillbirths by 2030 <a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/resources\/a-neglected-tragedy-stillbirth-estimates-report\/\">if no progress is made<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner content_placement=\"middle\"][vc_column_inner el_class=\"text-blue\" width=\"1\/3\"][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">45<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"2\/3\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1690997040986{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">percent of stillbirths that <a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/topic\/child-survival\/stillbirths\/\">occurred during labor in 2021<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner content_placement=\"middle\"][vc_column_inner][vc_separator][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h6 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">All data on this page represents the most recent data available, unless otherwise noted. Please visit our\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/numbers\/\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Newborn Numbers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-style: italic;\">\u00a0page and download the Excel spreadsheet to explore the data further.<\/span><\/h6>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" css=\".vc_custom_1452696349804{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;background-color: #f6f6f4 !important;}\"][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/2\"][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h4>High number of preventable stillbirths<\/h4>\n<p>An estimated 1.9 million stillbirths occur annually, 89 percent of which occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries and 77 percent of which occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Over <a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/topic\/child-survival\/stillbirths\/\">45% of all stillbirths occur during labor and birth<\/a>. The most common causes of stillbirth are similar to those that also kill mothers and newborns, such as maternal infections (notably syphilis and malaria), non-communicable diseases, and obstetric complications. Only 7 percent are due to congenital disorders, but some of these are also preventable*.<\/p>\n<h6>*All data on this page represents the most recent data available. Please visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/numbers\/\">Newborn Numbers<\/a> page and download the Excel spreadsheet to explore the data further.<\/h6>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/2\"][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h4>Heavy burden of psychosocial and economic cost on families and nations<\/h4>\n<p>The burden of stillbirth affects women, families, caregivers, communities, and society. Parents experience various psychological symptoms that often persist long after the death of their baby but could be mitigated by respectful maternity services, including bereavement care. An estimated 4\u00b72 million women are living with depression associated with a previous stillbirth. Stigma and taboo further exacerbate trauma for families, and fatalism impedes stillbirth prevention.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h4>Most stillbirths are preventable with health system improvements<\/h4>\n<p>Stillbirths are preventable through high-quality antenatal and intrapartum care within the continuum of care for women and children. Such inputs result in a quadruple return on investment by preventing maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths, plus improving child development. The stillbirth rate is a sensitive marker of quality and equity of health care.<\/p>\n<p>Opportunities to integrate stillbirths within women's and children's health programs must be seized more systematically. Some initiatives, such as the multi-stakeholder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/resource\/every-newborn-action-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Every Newborn Action Plan<\/a>, within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everywomaneverychild.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Every Woman Every Child<\/a> umbrella, have included stillbirths. Data for tracking stillbirths has increased. However, mentions of stillbirth remain limited in most relevant policies, research, and funding; these are missed opportunities to integrate and act to ensure progress.<\/p>\n<p>More information can be accessed in either the UNIGME 2023 Report - <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/resource\/never-forgotten-the-situation-of-stillbirth-around-the-globe\/\"><em>Never Forgotten - The situation of stillbirth around the globe<\/em> <\/a>or in <em>The Lancet\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/series\/ending-preventable-stillbirths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ending Preventable Stillbirths Series<\/a>, published January 2016. The Series presents the state of stillbirths, highlights missed opportunities, and identifies actions for accelerated progress to end preventable stillbirths[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/2\"][vc_column_text]<strong>Key resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/resource\/never-forgotten-the-situation-of-stillbirth-around-the-globe\/\">UNIGME 2023 Report - Never Forgotten - The situation of stillbirth around the globe<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/resources\/a-neglected-tragedy-stillbirth-estimates-report\/\">UNIGME 2020 Report - A Neglected Tragedy: The global burden of stillbirths<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/series\/ending-preventable-stillbirths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Lancet Series \u201cEnding Preventable Stillbirths\u201d 2016<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mamaye.org\/blog\/preventing-stillbirths-stronger-perinatal-death-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mamaye - Preventing Stillbirths with Stronger Perinatal Death Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirth <a href=\"http:\/\/stillbirthalliance.org\/news\/lancet-series-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lay Summary<\/a> (in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi and Chinese)<\/li>\n<li>Ending Preventable Stillbirth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZGvMWnO1O08\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(15)00954-X\/abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FRObOlP3M94\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video <\/a>of The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths main launch event<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/2\"][vc_column_text] <\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZGvMWnO1O08?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","post_title":"Stillbirths","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"stillbirths","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-08-02 13:32:12","post_modified_gmt":"2023-08-02 17:32:12","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?post_type=issue&p=137","menu_order":0,"post_type":"issue","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"regions":[{"ID":247,"post_author":"7211","post_date":"2015-11-22 21:37:22","post_date_gmt":"2015-11-22 21:37:22","post_content":"","post_title":"Africa","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"africa","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2016-02-11 21:42:43","post_modified_gmt":"2016-02-11 21:42:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?post_type=region&p=247","menu_order":0,"post_type":"region","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"countries":[{"ID":223,"post_author":"7211","post_date":"2015-10-21 22:04:20","post_date_gmt":"2015-10-21 22:04:20","post_content":"[vc_row][vc_column css=\".vc_custom_1453305596740{padding-top: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;}\"][vc_text_separator title=\"Leading causes of neonatal deaths in South Africa (2020)\" el_class=\"transform:upperclass\"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_round_chart type=\"doughnut\" stroke_width=\"1\" stroke_color=\"custom\" values=\"%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%220%25%20Diarrhoea%22%2C%22value%22%3A%220%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22vista-blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%220%25%20Tetanus%22%2C%22value%22%3A%220%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22mulled-wine%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%238d6dc4%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%225%25%20Pneumonia%22%2C%22value%22%3A%225%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22peacoc%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%2236%25%20Preterm%20birth%20complications%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2236%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22blue%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%2220%25%20Intrapartum%20related%20events%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2220%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%2214%25%20Sepsis%20and%20other%20infectious%20conditions%20of%20the%20newborn%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2214%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22pink%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%2210%25%20Congenital%20abnormalities%5Ct%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2210%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22violet%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%2215%25%20Other%20conditions%22%2C%22value%22%3A%2215%25%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22chino%22%7D%5D\" custom_stroke_color=\"#f6f6f4\" css=\".vc_custom_1686335375365{padding-right: 30px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}\"][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]\r\n<h6 style=\"text-align: left;\">Source: Estimates for causes of death 2000-2020 generated by the WHO and Maternal and Child Epidemiology Estimation Group (MCEE) 2023 and downloaded from <a href=\"http:\/\/data.unicef.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/data.unicef.org&source=gmail&ust=1551964625737000&usg=AFQjCNFsFTtu9FzS8H64YC88NPOzQVbPwQ\">http:\/\/data.unicef.org<\/a><\/h6>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" gap=\"5\" css=\".vc_custom_1453306441839{background-image: url(\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/country-stat-bkgr.jpg?id=389) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}\"][vc_column css=\".vc_custom_1453306493120{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"][vc_text_separator title=\"key indicators\" el_class=\"transform:uppercase text-white\"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1552412356987{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #e05533;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">11<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Newborn mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1686335292465{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #d9a23b;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">2.2<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Annual reduction in newborn mortality rate 2000-2021 (%)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1650980934354{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #41aaab;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">33<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Proportion of under-5 child deaths that are newborn (%)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1686335304276{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #e05533;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">16.2<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Stillbirth rate (deaths per 1,000 births)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1686335350088{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #d9a23b;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">96.7<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Skilled birth attendance (%)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1578918718172{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #41aaab;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">67<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Early initiation of breastfeeding (%)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1698697104922{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #e05533;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">13<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Preterm birth rate (births <37 weeks per 100 live births)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/4\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1686335328630{margin-bottom: -5px !important;}\"]\r\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #d9a23b;\"><strong><span class=\"ticker\">127<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=\"text-white\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Maternal mortality ratio (deaths per 100,000 live births)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1456677993474{margin-top: 20px !important;}\"]\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Visit our<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/numbers\/\">Newborn numbers<\/a> <span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">page to explore the most recent data further<\/span><\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","post_title":"South Africa","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"south-africa","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-30 16:17:00","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-30 20:17:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/?post_type=country&p=223","menu_order":0,"post_type":"country","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"about_the_author":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-60620 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Nonkululeko-Shibula-275x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Nonkululeko-Shibula-275x300.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/hnn-content\/uploads\/Nonkululeko-Shibula.jpg 695w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/>Nonkululeko Shibula is a qualified and compassionate professional with a diverse background. She is a certified doula and the founder of Umzanyana Birth Services, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing holistic childbirth education and more to families in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. She has extensive knowledge of prenatal care, labor, and postpartum care as a La Leche League-trained breastfeeding peer counselor. Nonkululeko also helps breastfeeding women achieve their goals and overcome any challenges they may face with breastfeeding. In addition to her expertise in childbirth education and breastfeeding support, Nonkululeko is a certified bereavement facilitator who provides compassionate care to families who have experienced the loss of a child. Having experienced the loss of her own angel baby, Nonkululeko understands first-hand the importance of providing a safe and supportive environment for families during this difficult time.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p>This post from a member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stillbirthalliance.org\/join-a-working-group\/#:~:text=The%20stillbirth%20advocacy%20working%20group,and%20practice%20to%20effect%20change.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stillbirth Advocacy Working Group\u00a0(SAWG)<\/a>\u00a0reflects the perspective of the author alone; it does not represent the views of the SAWG. The Stillbirth Advocacy Working Group was founded by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and is co-chaired by the International Stillbirth Alliance and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Email co-chairs Hannah Blencowe or Susannah Leisher at <a href=\"mailto:sawg@stillbirthalliance.org\">sawg@stillbirthalliance.org<\/a> to join SAWG or to learn more about the group.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n","author_image":false,"writein_submitted_by":"","external_link":"","why_feature":"","submitter_email":"","writein_authors_repeater":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60618"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7211"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60618\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthynewbornnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}