Healthcare and wider societal implications of stillbirth: a population ‐based cost‐of‐illness study

ConclusionThis work expands the current intelligence on the costs of stillbirth beyond the health service to costs for parents and society, and yet these additional findings must still be regarded as conservative estimates of the true economic costs. Tweetable abstractThe costs of stillbirth are significant, affecting the health service, parents, professionals, and society. Plain Language SummaryWhy and how was the study carried out?The personal, social, and emotional consequences of stillbirth are profound. Placing a monetary value on such consequences is emotive, yet necessary, when deciding how best to invest limited healthcare resources. We estimated the average costs associated with a single stillbirth and the costs for all stillbirths occurring in the UK over a 1‐year period.What were the main findings?The average cost to the National Health Service (NHS) of care related to the stillbirth and a first subsequent pregnancy was £4191 for each stillbirth. For the UK, this cost was £13.6 million annually. Clinical negligence payments to bereaved parents were estimated at £2.5 million per year. Parents were estimated to spend £1.8 million per year on funerals. The cost of workplace absence as parents cope with the effects of grief was estimated at £2476 per stillbirth. For the UK, this cost was £8.1 million annually. The loss of a baby is also the loss of an individual with the potential to become a valued and productive member of society. The expected value of a...
Source: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research