Listening for Change

Understanding families’ experiences of diabetes and stillbirth to improve care and save babies’ lives

Diabetes is a significant risk factor for stillbirth, with women living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes around five times more likely to experience a stillbirth than women without diabetes.

The next MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Confidential Enquiry will focus on diabetes and stillbirth, reviewing medical records to understand the care families received and identify opportunities for improvement.

But medical records cannot tell the whole story. Working alongside the national enquiry, Sands will listen directly to bereaved parents affected by diabetes and stillbirth through interviews, focus groups and family engagement.

By bringing together clinical evidence and families’ lived experiences, the project aims to build a fuller picture of care, identify where improvements are needed and help address inequalities.

The project recognises that understanding stillbirth requires more than clinical evidence alone. Families hold vital insights about communication, decision-making, support, information sharing and care experiences that may otherwise be missed.

Teddy’s Wish is proud to support this work, helping to ensure bereaved parents’ voices inform future improvements in maternity care and ultimately help save babies’ lives.

Teddy’s Wish has contributed £10,000 towards Year 1 of the project.