Solving the challenge of a high stillbirth rate in Scotland is not simply about getting obstetricians to improve. “It’s a multidisciplinary problem,” says Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director in the Scottish Government Health Department and former IHI Fellow. “So we’ve brought together social workers, teachers, housing officers, prison officers, and criminal justice people. With the family in the center of the conversation, we’ve tried to find whatever the solutions are [together].” Teaching moms about practical concepts such as fetal movement and smoking cessation has contributed to an 18 percent reduction in stillbirth rate in three years. “We’re still not at the average,” Leitch says. “There’s still much to do.”
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