New research highlights the need for closer care for women at higher risk of stillbirth. [iStockphoto]
Nearly 18 in every 1,000 babies born in Kilifi County are stillborn, according to a new multinational study that has found women who have previously lost a baby face more than three times the risk of another stillbirth, underscoring the need for earlier identification and closer monitoring of high-risk pregnancies.
The findings, released by the Pregnancy Care Integrating Translational Science, Everywhere (PRECISE) Network, are based on research involving about 5,700 pregnant women in Kenya, Mozambique and The Gambia between 2019 and 2022.
The study recorded an overall stillbirth rate of 29.2 per 1,000 births across the three countries, while Kilifi registered 17.8 stillbirths per 1,000 births.
Researchers said the findings demonstrate why women with a history of stillbirth require specialised care even before they conceive again.
