ISA promotes and supports high quality stillbirth research and the development of evidence based strategies for stillbirth prevention and care world wide.

Both for the ultimate goal of stillbirth prevention, as well as to provide better care for those affected, ISA sees a need for a wide range of research. Basic research in the physiology of pregnancy and labor, understanding of the disease mechanisms in the many different causes of stillbirths, the genetic susceptibilities, environmental effects, understanding effective prenatal care, maternal risk factors, socioeconomic and cultural disparities, psychosocial care and bereavement – and many more. All will provide keys to stillbirth prevention and improved care for affected families.

Despite the world’s 4.5 million stillbirths each year, stillbirth is not a common outcome of a pregnancy in developed countries, and not a frequent event in most delivery units and research institutions. Regional and international collaboration will therefore be crucial for stillbirth research to yield results rapidly. There are more similarities than differences in challenges seen in various corners of the world, even in developing countries that suffer about 98% of stillbirths globally. ISA provides a forum for collaboration in stillbirth research, including international workshops and an annual international stillbirth conference.

Even the highest quality research will be futile in saving babies lives, if it is not implemented and known in routine maternal health care. ISA works to make results of stillbirth research known, and in particular to facilitate the diffusion of knowledge to underserved populations. ISA provides scholarships for professionals from developing countries for attendance at the international stillbirth conference.

Recruitment of young professionals into stillbirth research is needed to increase our knowledge and ability to prevent stillbirths. ISA presents Young Investigator’s Awards at the annual stillbirth conference.

Stillbirth is an emotional subject. Even parents-to-be that have never endured stillbirth might fear the possibility, but parents that have been affected are evermore vulnerable in subsequent pregnancies. ISA works to promote evidence based preventive measures, and counteract the economic advantage taken of this fear when promoting sales of ineffective or detrimental “preventive” measures, examinations, equipment, diets, supplements, medications or other not based on valid research.