My Baby’s Movement app developed by Stillbirth Foundation undergoes three-year clinical trial
BREE Amer-Wilkes knows the pain of a silent baby born into heartbroken arms, but she hopes a new app will help mothers understand their baby’s movements to determine what’s normal and what’s not.
NSW
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BREE Amer-Wilkes had the nursery all set up and painted.
The baby clothes were washed and the nappies were on the change table ready to welcome her first child.
But, four weeks before her due date, Ms Amer-Wilkes felt her unborn baby’s movements slow down.
She let her doctor know, he reassured her, but on the morning of April 12 last year she knew something was terribly wrong. There was no movement at all.
“I had a cold drink, I had ice cream for breakfast. I constantly tried to wake him up and nothing happened,” Ms Amer-Wilkes said.
When she went to the hospital that afternoon, her worst fears were confirmed. There was no heartbeat. Instead of a beautiful crying newborn, Archie was born silent into their loving yet heartbroken arms.
“I just went into complete shock. I just wanted to know why. He was everything we dreamt of but we didn’t get to take him home,” Mrs Amer-Wilkes, 34, said.
It is a daily tragedy that claims more lives than the road toll.
Six babies a day die in their mother’s womb. The key indicator of stillbirth risk is a baby’s movement.
An app developed by the Stillbirth Foundation that helps mother’s track their baby’s movements is now in a three-year clinical trial in 27 Australian and New Zealand hospitals.
Stillbirth Foundation general manager Victoria Bowring said the My Baby’s Movement app would help mothers better understand their baby’s movement to determine what is normal and what is not.
This stillbirth rate has increased by 13 per cent in the past decade
Mrs Amer-Wilkes is now 25 weeks pregnant and will be wearing the app when she reaches 28 weeks.
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