Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth

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South Brisbane, QLD
Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth

Leading national research, resources & evidence-based advice to prevent stillbirth & improve care.

The Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (Stillbirth CRE) has been established to address the problem of stillbirth in Australia. We are an Australia-wide initiative, our host institution being Mater Research Institute, within The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine. As a regional office of the International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA), the Stillbirth CRE promotes and facilitates partnerships to ensure our work in Australia contributes to the global call to action for stillbirths and also newborn health as outlined Every Newborn Action Plan. Further, the CRE will work towards building a strong health and medical workforce to ensure sustained improvement in care and outcomes for future families.

26/11/2025

💜 Living with Loss 💜

During Perinatal Mental Health Week, we're shining a light on the importance of support after pregnancy and baby loss.

Support is available in many forms. The Living with Loss (LWL) program is a free, online program created by parents, health professionals, researchers and support organisations. It includes six self-guided modules designed to help parents navigate grief with practical strategies for both the short and longer term.

The program is flexible, confidential, and available anytime, anywhere.

Access the Living with Loss program here:
https://carearoundloss.stillbirthcre.org.au/

23/11/2025

💙Perinatal Mental Health Week 2025💙

This week (23–29 November), we join parents, families, and organisations across Australia to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing during the perinatal period — especially for those who have experienced the loss of a baby.

The theme for Perinatal Mental Health Week 2025 is “What you need, when you need it.” This reflects a shared commitment to ensuring parents can access timely, tailored support that truly meets their needs. For some, that means clarity and guidance on the path ahead. For others, it’s knowing that help is here right now.

Grief following pregnancy or baby loss is deeply personal. There is no right or wrong way to grieve — and while it can often feel isolating, you are not alone. The care and support parents receive around the time of their baby’s death are critically important, and compassionate, understanding care can make a lasting difference.

Support can come in many forms — from family and friends, to peer support and professional services that specialise in perinatal loss and bereavement care.

Find a list of support services available across Australia:
stillbirthcre.org.au/parents/care-after-loss/support-groups/

Explore the Stillbirth CRE's resources for families navigating loss:
carearoundloss.stillbirthcre.org.au

Join us in raising awareness and sharing resources during . Learn more and get involved: www.pmhweek.org.au

18/11/2025

Improving the detection and management of Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) is key to reducing preventable stillbirth — and a new grant will expand the Mater’s Fetal Growth and Assessment Clinic to further this vital work.

Congratulations to Prof Sailesh Kumar, who leads the Genesis Research Group at Mater Research and is a Stillbirth CRE Chief Investigator. Prof Kumar and his team have received funding from the Channel 9 Telethon (2025) to expand this life-saving service to Southeast Asia and other Queensland hospitals.

Since May 2022, the Mater Fetal Growth and Assessment Clinic has supported over 1,168 pregnancies, resulting in more than 1,000 healthy babies born. Women cared for in this dedicated clinic - which integrates screening, surveillance, and research - report high satisfaction with their care and experience lower stillbirth rates compared to other Queensland births.

Aligning with the Stillbirth CRE’s Safer Baby Bundle element of monitoring for fetal growth restriction (FGR). The clinic’s model exemplifies how evidence-informed screening and care pathways can enhance pregnancy care and support better outcomes for families.

The clinic’s success has also generated significant research outputs and established a large biobank to support collaborative studies. This funding will help sustain the team’s ongoing commitment to improving pregnancy care and outcomes, ensuring more families receive the support they need.

The generous support from the Australian Government and the Nine Telethon Mater Little Miracles campaign is gratefully acknowledged.

13/11/2025

Join thousands of clinicians who have completed our free, evidence-based eLearning courses.

The Stillbirth CRE offers a range of self-paced online courses designed for healthcare professionals who support families through pregnancy, birth, and loss. Plus earn CPD points.

Learn more: learn.stillbirthcre.org.au

11/11/2025

Living with Loss: Expanding Support for Bereaved Parents 💜

We are proud to partner with the The Pink Elephants Support Network to enhance Living with Loss — a self-guided, evidence-based online program supporting bereaved parents after miscarriage, early pregnancy loss, and pregnancy after loss.

Th expanded program will offer compassionate, flexible support anytime, anywhere. Grounded in mindfulness, self-compassion, and practical strategies, Living with Loss will support parents in navigating grief, relationships, and the future.

This initiative aims to amplify the voices of the Pink Elephants community and help ensure no parent faces pregnancy and baby loss alone.

Learn more: https://carearoundloss.stillbirthcre.org.au/

09/11/2025

Meet Ashley Pade, a Research Assistant at the Stillbirth CRE.

Ashley joined the Stillbirth CRE team in 2022 after completing her Masters of Global Public Health.

Her work has been mainly focused on the Safer Baby Bundle, supporting research, evaluation and implementation efforts to reduce preventable stillbirths across Australia and improve the delivery of best-practice maternity care.

Ashley has also recently completed her Bachelor of Midwifery and hopes to combine her research experience with clinical practice to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

"I chose to pursue midwifery because I wanted to take what I’ve learnt through research and apply it directly to the care I provide women and their families. Seeing how evidence can make a real difference inspired me to be part of that change firsthand.”

07/11/2025

We’re pleased to share that our project, “Pathways to Best Care After Perinatal Loss,” has been awarded funding by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)!

The funding outcomes were officially announced last week by the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, recognising over $9 million in support for health and medical research partnerships across Australia.

Each year, pregnancy and baby loss devastates thousands of families across Australia, leaving lasting impacts on families, communities, and healthcare professionals. This project brings together state and territory health departments, maternity services, professional organisations, and parent support and advocacy organisations to create a National Perinatal Loss Care Pathway.

Our goal is to ensure every family receives care that is kind, consistent, and based on the best available evidence after the loss of a baby.

Thank you to the and our incredible partners for supporting this vital work and congratulations to Dr Siobhan Loughnan who is leading this work.

death

05/11/2025

The latest National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan Annual Report is now available.

The report highlights the ongoing progress being made to reduce stillbirth in Australia and improve care for those families that do experience the tragedy of pregnancy and baby loss.

The Stillbirth CRE contributes to the action plan across multiple priority areas, from prevention and bereavement care to education, data and research.

Key highlights include:
▶️ National rollout and ongoing evaluation of the Safer Baby Bundle, including culturally adapted resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, migrant and refugee families.
▶️ Delivery of the IMPROVE national education program, available as a workshop and eLearning course, to upskill health professionals in provision of respectful and compassionate care around perinatal loss.
▶️ Co-design of resources and programs to support bereaved parents and families.
▶️ Collaboration with health services, government and community partners to improve data, reporting and research translation.

We are proud to work alongside our partners to drive progress, reduce preventable stillbirths, and improve care for women and families across Australia.

Read the full report here:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/the-national-stillbirth-action-and-implementation-plan-annual-report-4-2025?language=en

04/11/2025

Last week, Hummingbird House welcomed the Stillbirth CRE and Mater Mothers' Hospital Perinatal Loss teams for a heartfelt lunch and tour.

As Queensland's only children's hospice, Hummingbird House provides compassionate paediatric palliative care for families facing the unimaginable. Their mission is to ensure that every family receives the care, connection, and dignity they deserve.

Through research, education, and collaboration, the Stillbirth CRE is dedicated to improving and connecting care to vital services, like Hummingbird House, for bereaved families.

30/10/2025

As October draws to a close, we reflect on a month of remembrance and awareness for pregnancy and infant loss.

At the Stillbirth CRE, this work continues every day of the year. Guided by our mission to reduce the devastating impact of stillbirth, we partner with bereaved parents, researchers, clinicians and communities to improve care and outcomes for families. Remembrance shapes our research priorities, strengthens our education, and drives our advocacy for change.

We acknowledge the parents who choose to share their stories and experiences, and those who carry their grief more quietly. We honour the babies whose lives inspire this work, and the legacies their families wish to leave in their name.

Together, we continue working toward a future with fewer preventable stillbirths, and where every family receives compassionate, respectful care.

27/10/2025

FREE Pregnancy & Baby Loss Resources for Parents and Families 💜

Navigating pregnancy and baby loss can be overwhelming. The Stillbirth CRE has worked alongside families and health professionals to create a suite of free, compassionate resources to support you through this journey.

✨ Guiding Conversations – a gentle guide for families following stillbirth or newborn death

🌟 Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) – culturally grounded support for Aboriginal women, families, and Sorry Business Babies

💔 Early Pregnancy Loss - guidance and support for families experiencing pregnancy loss

🤰 Pregnancy After Loss - a resource to help families navigate care and emotions in pregnancies after loss

💻 Living with Loss – a self-guided online support program for anyone affected by pregnancy or baby loss

Explore all resources at: carearoundloss.stillbirthcre.org.au

22/10/2025

Meet Dr Poliana de Barros Medeiros, a Neonatologist who is currently completing a PhD with the Stillbirth CRE.

Dr Medeiros' research is focused on improving outcomes for newborns through her research on neonatal near miss (NNM) audits. Dr Medeiros' work has provided a clear NNM definition for use in audits across high-income countries, supporting health services to identify critical cases and implement changes that improve perinatal care. Ultimately Dr Medeiros aims to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, including conditions such as cerebral palsy.

“I find it extremely rewarding to see my research generating a tool for quality improvement in the perinatal field.” Dr Medeiros said.

Dr Medeiros was the recipient of the 2021 and 2022 Stillbirth CRE PhD Top Up Scholarship.

The Stillbirth CRE is proud to support emerging researchers whose work translates research into real-world impact, shaping safer, better care for families.

🔗 Learn more about this research: https://www.stillbirthcre.org.au/projects/neonatal-near-miss-audits-to-reduce-perinatal-mortality-and-morbidity/

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South Brisbane, QLD

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http://www.stillbirthcre.org.au/

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