Congress Recognizes National Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day

Annual day of awareness promotes stillbirth research and prevention, and honors the thousands of Americans who have experienced the tragedy of stillbirth.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Members of Congress have introduced bipartisan resolutions in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate designating Sept. 19, 2025 as National Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day. Resolution leads include Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-01), Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). In the Senate, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

This day of awareness, which was first recognized by Congress on Sept. 19, 2022, was created to recognize the thousands of families impacted by stillbirth every year. The National Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day resolution encourages Congress to do all it can to prevent the tragedy of stillbirth from happening to more families.

In addition to the resolution, proclamations declaring Sept. 19 as Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day will be signed in 12 states. Tonight dozens of buildings and bridges around the country will be illuminated with teal and purple lights in honor of National Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day, including the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge in Des Moines, Iowa, the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and Niagara Falls in New York, and the Dublin Link Bridge in Dublin, Ohio. The efforts of advocates and supporters around the country shine a light on the need for further stillbirth research and prevention programming to address this public health crisis.

“Each year, 21,000 babies are stillborn in the United States, bringing devastation to parents and families. We can and must do more to save babies’ lives and improve prenatal care. Our resolution raises awareness of stillbirths and emphasizes how federal resources can empower the medical communities’ work on evidence-based practices to prevent these tragedies,” said Grassley.

Today is an opportunity to promote stillbirth research and prevention, and to honor the tens of thousands of Americans who have experienced the tragedy of stillbirth. This week a coalition of more than 25 stillbirth prevention advocates are in Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress in conjunction with National Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day.

“A single stillbirth is one too many, and we must do more to reduce the alarming rate of stillbirth, which devastates families and happens at a higher rate to Black, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaska Native women,” Merkley said. “Getting my Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act signed into law was an important first step; and on this National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day, we recommit to doing everything we can to end this dire public health crisis, so no family has to experience the trauma of stillbirth.”

Stillbirth, which is defined as the loss of a baby at 20+ weeks of pregnancy, happens to 1 in every 185 pregnancies in our country. Every day nearly 60 families a day hear the devastating news that their baby no longer has a heartbeat. Despite this, stillbirth remains one of the most underfunded, under-researched and overlooked maternal health outcomes.

“No mother should ever know the heartbreak of losing a child,” said Dr. Cassidy. “That’s why I am committed to advancing bills that protect both mothers and their babies.”

In the last 2 decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States declined by a negligible 0.9 percent. In a report published by UNICEF comparing progress in improving stillbirth rates, the United States ranked worse than 151 countries. According to the CDC, the annual number of stillbirths in the U.S. far exceeds the top five leading causes of death among children aged 0-14 years combined, including unintentional injuries, congenital anomalies, pre-term birth, homicide, SIDS, and heart disease.

“Improving prenatal education and access to maternal care — especially in rural areas where women may travel over an hour to see a provider — is critical to protecting babies and reducing maternal deaths. Passing my Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Act last year was a major step, but more must be done to support expecting moms and prevent stillbirths. I’m proud to reintroduce this resolution recognizing Sept. 19 as National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day and will continue working across the aisle to end the tragedy of stillbirth,” said Congresswoman Hinson.

Stillbirth has a devastating and profound lifelong impact on the families who experience this tragedy. Expectant parents in some age groups, geographic locations, races and ethnicities, and those expecting multiples face an increased risk of experiencing a stillbirth. According to the CDC, a disproportionate number of babies are born still to Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native families, as well as pregnant women over the age of 40 and women who live in the South.

“For too long, stillbirth has been a silent crisis that remains under-discussed, under-researched, and under-funded. Today’s resolution seeks to change that,” said Congresswoman Adams. “I’m proud to introduce the National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day resolution so more families can be given the information and resources they need to prevent stillbirth in their pregnancies. Together, we can bring an end to this public health crisis and better protect the health of our mothers and their children.”

The resolution calls for increased awareness and better data collection so we can better understand why stillbirths are happening. The resolution also celebrates the passage of the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024, which opens up more federal resources for stillbirth prevention activities and research.

Endorsing organizations include: 1st Breath, Aaliyah in Action, American College of Nurse-Midwives, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Gifts from Liam, Healthy Birth Day, Inc., In the Arms of Jesus Comfort + Advocacy, Jace’s Journey, March of Dimes, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, Matties Memory, Inc., Measure The Placenta, Mera’s Mission, Miles' Mission, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, Reproductive and Placental Research Unit, Yale University, Return to Zero: HOPE, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Society for Reproductive Investigation, Start Healing Together, and The Little Timmy Project.

Kimberly Isburg
Healthy Birth Day, Inc.
+1 515-494-5115
isburg.kimberly@healthybirthday.org
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Senator Chuck Grassley Recognizes National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day

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