Towards respectful supportive care after stillbirth for every woman

Stillbirth is a persistent public health problem with enormous impacts on parents, families and communities (de Bernis et al, The Lancet, 2016, Vol 387: 703-716). The care of health workers and community is vital to parents' recovery after stillbirth (Flenady et al, BJOG, 2014, Vol 121: 137-140). However, care is often suboptimal, particularly in limited-resource settings. Close linkages between poverty, women's education and disempowerment mean that women who have lost a baby are especially vulnerable. Mothers of stillborn babies in Africa, a region with one of the highest stillbirth rates, are often forbidden from mourning and mistreated (Kiguli et al, The Lancet, 2016, Vol 387: e16-e16)