Alongside NHS England, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust have today (Wednesday 28 August) launched a new version of a vital guide to try and help reduce the risk of poor outcomes in pregnancy.

The launch of Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle Version 2 is part of NHS England’s ongoing drive to reduce the rates of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal death and neonatal brain injuries.

The care bundle has been made available to all expectant parents, as well as healthcare professionals, and is a central part of the Trust’s and NHS England’s mission to reduce perinatal mortality, an issue which is of high importance in the West Midlands. 

UHCW, as part of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Maternity System (LMS), are renowned as leaders in the country for their approach to delivering Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle resources to make a real difference within their community.

On the launch of the new guide the NHS Trust’s Chief Nursing Officer and Maternity Safety Champion, Nina Morgan, explained what this will mean to parents across Coventry and Warwickshire:

“This guide carries essential information for every expectant parent, and healthcare professional who works with them, and will help to provide safer care, protect babies’ lives and ensure fewer families suffer loss.

“The updated version of the Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle gives vital information to women who may give birth to their babies early (prior to 30 weeks gestation). It gives them important information so they can understand risks and recognise warning signs associated with baby loss to ensure they and their babies are as safe as possible during pregnancy.

“This launch is a very important step towards meeting the Government’s commitment to halve stillbirths and neonatal baby deaths by 2025.”

It has previously been reported that infant deaths in Coventry are at their highest level since records began in 2010, with 6.4 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2016.

The Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle was first introduced in 2015, and is designed to reduce stillbirth and early neonatal death. It brings together five elements of care which can contribute to improvements in poor pregnancy outcomes:

• Reducing smoking in pregnancy to improve the chances of having a healthy baby
• Checking your baby’s growth and what it means for you
• Raising awareness of reduced foetal movement and providing information on how to act to any changes.
• Information on effective monitoring of your baby’s heartbeat during labour
• Information on if you have a preterm birth and could mean for you