Research Highlights Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Stillbirths Across Hospitals in England

A recent study conducted by the University of Bristol has uncovered significant ethnic and social inequalities in stillbirth rates within individual hospitals and healthcare trusts across England. Analyzing data from 1.3 million births across 130 NHS Trusts, the research highlights that disparities in stillbirth rates are not only evident at the national level but are also present within specific hospital units.

The findings reveal that women from Black and Asian ethnic backgrounds face substantially higher risks of stillbirth compared to white women, with rates in some trusts being twice as high. Additionally, socioeconomic factors play a critical role: women residing in the most deprived areas experienced stillbirth rates of 4.7 per 1,000 births, compared to 2.9 per 1,000 in the least deprived regions—a difference of 62%.

These disparities persist even within the same healthcare institutions, with some trusts achieving below-average rates for white women but above-average rates for Black and Asian women. This indicates that factors beyond hospital quality, such as systemic inequalities and social determinants of health, influence fetal outcomes.

The research emphasizes that addressing these inequalities requires broad systemic changes rather than solely focusing on ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Strategies like early pregnancy risk assessments that incorporate ethnicity and deprivation indicators could be most effective in reducing stillbirths. The authors advocate for targeted interventions in NHS Trusts with high variability in care quality, aiming to ensure equitable maternal health services for all women.

Leaders from the study, including Dr. Erik Lenguerrand and Professor Basky Thilaganathan, call for ongoing data collection and analysis to monitor progress and identify areas needing policy reform. The study also aligns with the latest MBRRACE-UK perinatal mortality report, reinforcing the critical need to eliminate health disparities to improve pregnancy outcomes.

This research highlights the urgent importance of tackling inequalities in maternity care to prevent avoidable fetal deaths, ensuring safer pregnancies across all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.