Trust launches competition to raise awareness of fetal movement in pregnancy

21 May 2018

Unborn babies don’t stop moving.

That is the message that the trust which runs Shropshire’s acute hospitals wants to drive home in a major campaign.

Nationally and locally women say they want more information about their babies’ movements and the importance of any changes to these movements. There are currently around 665,000 babies born in England each year, but sadly there are over 3,000 stillbirths.

New guidance – called, the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle – contains the ambition to halve the rate of stillbirths from 4.7 per thousand to 2.3 per thousand by 2030, potentially avoiding the tragedy of stillbirth for more than 1,500 families every year.

In order to help spread the message, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) will be redesigning the front cover of the maternity handheld records, a folder which is given to all pregnant women at their first antenatal appointment.

The new design is being opened up to youngsters across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales in order to encourage people to have conversations about this important matter.

Jill Whitaker, Matron for Consultant Unit Maternity Services at SaTH, said: “We are launching this project because it is extremely important to us that women and their families recognise the importance of their babies’ movements during pregnancy.

“Well babies keep moving through out a pregnancy but nationally it is recognised that women do not always approach health professionals for reassurance that their baby is well if the baby’s movements change. Sometimes women come into maternity units too late and, sadly, some babies die as a result

“Our aim is to raise the profile of being aware of babies’ movements and to encourage women to seek advice whenever they notice a change in how their baby is moving.

“We are launching a competition to change the cover of our maternity handheld records. The new cover will focus on monitoring baby movements and contacting your midwife if you notice any changes in movement or you have any concerns about your baby.

“The winning entry will feature on the front cover of the records all women carry throughout their pregnancies. There will also be other prizes for runners-up in the competition.”

The competition is aimed at anyone who believes they have the skill to make an eye-catching picture which will remind women and their families to be aware and monitor how their baby moves.

As part of the project, Jill and her colleagues will be visiting schools and colleges to talk to students about the issue.

Further information about the competition, and how to enter, can be found at

www.sath.nhs.uk/wards-services/az-services/maternity/competition