House Passes Mullin Bill to Improve US Stillbirth Rate

On December 8, 2021, the House passed Congressman Markwayne Mullin’s bill, the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act, which aims to lower the U.S. stillbirth rate by providing critical resources to state and federal health departments, improving data collection, and increasing education and awareness around the issue of stillbirth in the United States. The bill will award grants to states for $5 million each year through 2026 on stillbirth research and data collection improvements, as well as $1 million each year on guidelines and educational awareness materials.

Each year, stillbirth affects 1 out of every 160 births, and over 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States. In addition, a global comparison of the reduction in stillbirth rates from 2000 to 2019 ranked the U.S. 183rd of 195 countries.

“Stillbirth impacts over 20,000 women in the United States every year. Though medical care and technology have improved, these rates have stayed the same,” Mullin said. “It is crucial that medical professionals have the information they need to mitigate stillborn risk. I thank my colleagues for supporting this bill to promote research and educational guidelines for state departments and for the National Institute of Health (NIH) to improve maternal care. Every mother and her baby deserve a chance at life and that starts with good health care.” via Mullin.House.gov

At Walk In Sunshine, we are ecstatic at the passing of the SHINE for Autumn Act. It is a huge step that stillbirth is a topic of conversation at the federal level, one that brings us closer to the research and solutions needed to help lower the US stillbirth rate, so fewer families have to face the tragedy and devastation of losing a child.