Elevate the Stillbirth Crisis

Let decision makers at HRSA know why stillbirth prevention is important to you.

Between now and July 5, 2023, HRSA is taking public comment on Title V — the key source of funding for improving the health and well-being of America’s moms and babies. Annually, a budget of approximately $2.8 billion supports 59 states and jurisdictions. Right now there is very little planned to address stillbirth prevention within Title V.

This request for comment creates a perfect opportunity to ask HRSA to elevate the stillbirth crisis in its work, place a higher priority on stillbirth prevention, and fund prevention efforts. They need to know how stillbirth has impacted our lives, and that it continues to be a crisis in this country.

Help elevate the stillbirth crisis by personalizing and sending the message below to HRSA before July 5. Please mobilize friends and family, and ask them to submit comments with you.

Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail them to:

HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer
Room 14N39, 5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

All communications MUST include this information: Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to States Program: Guidance and Forms for the Title V Application/Annual Report, OMB No. 0915–0172—Revision.

Thank you for your continued support of stillbirth prevention in America. Together, change is COMING.

Sample Message

Dear HRSA,

I am writing today about the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to States Program: Guidance and Forms for the Title V Application/Annual Report, OMB No. 0915–0172—Revision to ask that greater attention be paid to stillbirth and stillbirth prevention within Title V. {INSERT YOUR PERSONAL STORY HERE}.

Every year more than 21,000 U.S. families experience the tragedy of stillbirth. In the U.S., families are 6.5 times more likely to experience a stillbirth than to a lose a baby to SIDS. Racial disparities in stillbirth outcomes persist, with 1 out of every 97 Black pregnancies ending in stillbirth. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native families are also at a greater risk of enduring stillbirth.

I respectfully request the following:

• National Performance Measures (NPMs) and National Outcome Measures (NOMs) have been updated to reflect emergent priorities at the state and national levels — I urge you to include the stillbirth crisis and create an NPM calling for the reduction of stillbirth by 30% within the next decade so that every state is required to address and report on in its Title V MCH Block Grant Application/Annual Report.
• Related to Outcome Measure 6, the definition numerator needs to change to reflect the true definition of stillbirth, which is the loss of a baby at 20 weeks or greater during pregnancy and does NOT include “early neonatal deaths occurring under 7 days.”
• Update the target in Outcome Measure 6 to mirror the more aggressive approach in Outcome Measure 7 related to reducing infant mortality in America. We suggest the following, Baseline: 5.9 fetal deaths at 20 or more weeks of gestation per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths in 2017, Target: 5.7 5.0 fetal deaths at 20 or more weeks of gestation per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths.
• Call for evidence-based programs and activities and outcome research to reduce the incidence of stillbirth including tracking and awareness of fetal movements, improvement of birth timing for pregnant people with risk factors, initiatives that encourage safe sleeping positions for pregnant people, screening and surveillance for fetal growth restriction, efforts to achieve smoking cessation amongst pregnant people, community-based programs that provide home visits or other types of support, and any other research or evidence-based programming to prevent stillbirths.

There are proven stillbirth prevention programs already in place that can save more lives if implemented on a national scale. Research shows a minimum of 1 in 4 stillbirths can be prevented. America simply needs to TRY. When we elevate the stillbirth crisis at the highest levels we will improve outcomes for moms, babies and families. Thank you.

{Sign your name}

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Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N39, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. All communications MUST include this information: Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to States Program: Guidance and Forms for the Title V Application/Annual Report, OMB No. 0915–0172—Revision.