Stillbirths: rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030
Joy E Lawn, Hannah Blencowe, Peter Waiswa, Agbessi Amouzou, Colin Mathers, Dan Hogan, Vicki Flenady, J Frederik Frøen, Zeshan U Qureshi, Claire Calderwood, Suhail Shiekh, Fiorella Bianchi Jassir, Danzhen You, Elizabeth M McClure, Matthews Mathai, Simon Cousens, for The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths Series study group* with The Lancet Stillbirth Epidemiology investigator group*
An estimated 2·6 million third trimester stillbirths occurred in 2015 (uncertainty range 2·4–3·0 million). The number of stillbirths has reduced more slowly than has maternal mortality or mortality in children younger than 5 years, which were explicitly targeted in the Millennium Development Goals. The Every Newborn Action Plan has the target of 12 or fewer stillbirths per 1000 births in every country by 2030. 94 mainly high-income countries and upper middle-income countries have already met this target, although with noticeable disparities. At least 56 countries, particularly in Africa and in areas aff cted by conflict, will have to more than double present progress to reach this target.
