Sands has published a report today on a project that aimed to learn more about how babies’ movements are talked about in pregnancy and how this can be improved to save babies’ lives.
The project was led by Sands and Dr Tomasina Stacey - a researcher at King’s College London - and made possible by funding from Teddy’s Wish.
Read the report here.
The problem
At Sands we have heard from many bereaved mums who told us they felt worried and confused about their baby’s movements during their pregnancy.
In every pregnancy I’ve had, I’ve never really known when I should be feeling it. I’ve never really known what kind of pattern I should be looking out for. – Bereaved mother
Some said that with better information they might have known to get help sooner – help that may have saved their baby’s life.
…if some words had been slightly different, then maybe I’d have done something different, which would mean that she would still be here. – Bereaved mother
Raising awareness of babies’ movements is an important part of the work to reduce stillbirth in the UK. But the evidence shows that it isn't clear what’s most helpful for parents when talking about baby’s movements in pregnancy.
What we did
By looking at previous research, and listening to parents and healthcare staff, we learned about a range of problems and experiences.
In November 2024, we hosted an event where experts from maternity policy, practice, research and charity groups came together with bereaved parents to discuss these challenges and agree on possible solutions.
What we learned
The main problems described linked to three key areas:
1. How core information is shared and received.
How healthcare staff share important information about babies’ movements, and how it is understood by families is key. If this is not done well, parents may find it harder to know if there is an important change in their baby’s movement or understand that it's important to report this.
2. Accessibility of care.
It can be difficult for families to contact healthcare staff, which can stop parents from sharing concerns about their baby’s movements and receiving the right care.
3. Response on accessing care.
The way that healthcare staff respond if families do share worries, or go into hospital to get checked, has a huge impact. If parents feel dismissed or unsure after speaking to staff, they may be less likely to get help in the future.
Change needs to happen across all three areas for care to improve, with the involvement of parents, communities and healthcare staff.
In this Learning and Impact Report, you can find more about how we approached this work, the challenges described, and eight priority actions for improvement.