Congress, Biden unite on substantive action to prevent stillbirths

I delivered my daughter Francesca stillborn when I was nearly 38 weeks pregnant. Nothing could have been more devastating than being days from welcoming our perfect baby, and instead learning she was gone. That pain hasn’t gone away. But today, I’m writing because I am inspired and elated by the recent passage and enactment of the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act.

This new law fills me with the hope that fewer families will have to experience a similarly devastating loss in the future. And for those of us who have, the law is a heartwarming message that our children and our experiences matter. 

Stillbirth is defined as the death of a baby at 20 weeks or greater gestation. I must have had hundreds of conversations with friends and family about being pregnant and having a baby. But I had no idea until my loss that stillbirth is common and a public health crisis that impacts more than 21,000 U.S. families every single year. At the time, I didn’t even know it was a possibility.  

I’ve learned that stillbirth is a pregnancy outcome that is rarely discussed, leaving families feeling alone and searching for answers. In a way, I understand the silence. Who wants to even imagine the experience of delivering a child who will not come home with you? But stillbirth is the leading cause of infant death, and we do a disservice to expecting parents by not talking more about it. 

This new law provides the opportunity to educate the public and our lawmakers to do more.  

Our daughter Francesca was born still after a relatively uneventful pregnancy. Her death remains a painful mystery to us. I learned of her death during a routine sonogram in the final weeks of my pregnancy. In my shock, I assumed doctors would order a c-section, but that’s a major surgery. A natural birth was the safest option, despite being emotionally harrowing. 

So I was induced. I experienced the rigors of childbirth and delivered her, silently, on June 17, 2021. We held her and kissed her, nuzzled her soft cheeks, and poured a lifetime of love into our beautiful baby girl. In the weeks after delivery, I experienced all the usual postpartum symptoms, such as bleeding, soreness, and lactation, plus the trauma and shock that my baby was gone and would never have the life we dreamed for her. 

My doctor, who shared our pain in losing a child, also had to share that the causes of most stillbirths remain unknown.

As we ached for our baby, we were even more pained at the thought that our older daughter would never know her sister. I still wish to know what their relationship would be like. In our grief, my husband and I found some comfort in the writings of President Biden, who has been a brave public face of child loss. In my lowest moments, I felt a tiny comfort knowing I was not alone in my experience. And I am grateful that Vice President Harris has continued to raise the issue of maternal health. 

That is why I am celebrating the enactment of the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act, which President Biden signed into law on July 12.

This new law, which passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly, adds stillbirth and stillbirth prevention to Title V of the Social Security Act — something that has been lacking since the introduction of Title V funding in 1935. The Title V Block Grant is the single largest funding mechanism to address maternal and child health issues in the U.S. Title V identifies many priorities for the funding, but stillbirth and stillbirth prevention were never included until now. 

Making these funds eligible is essential for stillbirth prevention.  Doing so might also encourage state health departments across the nation to use a portion of the existing $2.6 billion of Title V Block Grant funding to prevent stillbirth. With National Stillbirth Prevention Day coming up on Sept. 19, I can think of no better way to honor grieving parents and support hopeful and expecting families. 

Research shows 1 in 4 stillbirths can be preventable.  Routine screenings, better access to care, and addressing racial inequities are all important when it comes to stillbirth prevention.  But we cannot accept a status quo that leaves tens of thousands of families a year reeling from the loss of a child.  Congress can continue to inspire hope in families like mine by passing proposed legislation to improve data collection and raise public awareness.  And parents like me should continue to speak out, because as painful as it is, I know there is power in stories like mine. 

When I said goodbye to Francesca, I told her that I loved her and that I would fight for her always.  Advocating for the passage of the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act and meeting other parents with similar experiences made me feel closer to my daughter, who would have turned three this summer.  I am proud to carry her with me every day and to be inspired by her to fight for a better future for other families. 

Jessica Brady Reader, a former congressional reporter and Senate staffer, is a freelance writer and communications consultant. She has three daughters.