Overview
The Compassionate Conversations series is aimed at highlighting effective techniques and answering questions on having sensitive conversations around difficult topics. For our eighth virtual conversation in this series, we will be focusing on patient-centered discussions regarding stillbirth and how health care professionals in obstetrics and gynecology can support their patients.
Stillbirth is defined as the death of a fetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy and can be discovered through a lack of fetal movement or loss of fetal cardiac activity. The known reasons for stillbirth can be varied and unpredictable, so better data is needed to understand the specific causes of stillbirth so that clinicians can develop appropriate assessments and interventions to help prevent it.
Stillbirth occurs in roughly one in 175 births each year in the United States. Experiencing stillbirth is a difficult process that requires a support network and health care professionals who can provide guidance as patients navigate their grief and loss. In this webinar, we hope to provide ob-gyn health care professionals with the tools to be confident in discussing stillbirth in a sensitive and respectful manner.
This Resource was supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,250,000 with 100 percent funded by ACOG and CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
ACOG is solely responsible for all content including speaker and facilitator selection.
All opinions discussed by the moderator and panelists are their own and not reflective of ACOG opinion.
References
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About Stillbirth | Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
John Horton, MD, FACOG
Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory Healthcare
John P. Horton, MD, FACOG, is a practicing ob-gyn generalist and hospitalist at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia, where he also serves as the vice chair of clinical affairs for the department of gynecology and obstetrics. He is working to improve patient, physician, and staff experience and build innovative programs, helping to grow Emory’s service and department.
Michael Belmonte, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Pennsylvania State University
Michael Belmonte, MD, is a subspecialist in complex family planning and an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State University. He earned a bachelor’s of science in human communication sciences and disorders and psychology from Northwestern University, and completed his medical training at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Belmonte was a national medical fellow with a specialization in urban medicine. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he pursued the clinician educator training pathway. He furthered his expertise with a fellowship in complex family planning at the University of Colorado, focusing on contraceptive and abortion care. Dr. Belmonte has also contributed to global health efforts through his work with the World Health Organization and served as the ACOG Darney-Landy Fellow, a prestigious role, as the national spokesperson for family planning.
Katharine White, MD, MPH, FACOG
Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Associate Director, Fellowship in Complex Family Planning, Boston Medical Center
Katharine White, MD, MPH, FACOG, is professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, and the chief of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Boston Medical Center. Dr. White is active in multiple research studies in various areas of family planning. She frequently lectures locally and nationally on topics related to reproductive health. Dr. White has published two books with Mayo Clinic Press: Your Guide to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss: Hope and Healing When You’re No Longer Expecting, and Your Sexual Health: A Guide to Understanding, Loving and Caring for Your Body.
Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya
Since her daughter Autumn was stillborn in July 2011, Vijayvergiya has become a passionate and powerful advocate working tirelessly to put stillbirth on the map in the United States. Among her many accomplishments, Vijayvergiya has championed legislation at the state and federal level aimed at improving stillbirth outcomes and raising much-needed awareness. She is currently working with members of Congress to get the bipartisan SHINE for Autumn Act, which would take critical steps to invest in improved stillbirth data collection, research, education, and awareness, passed.
Stacey Fletcher
Parent Voice Representative, University of Utah
Stacey Fletcher is a parent voice representative at the University of Utah. As a clinical trainer for the Utah Pregnancy after Loss Program, Fletcher ensures that parent experience plays a key role in developing excellent physical and mental health care. She also is the director of the University of Utah’s Peer Support Program, president of St. George Share, a volunteer with the International Stillbirth Alliance, and a dedicated stillbirth awareness advocate. On December 12, 2006, Fletcher’s son Benjamin was stillborn, with no cause ever found. She has since dedicated her life to helping others who have experienced the same devastating fate. As a peer support specialist and bereavement photographer for 12 years, she has spent many tender hours with families whose lives are forever touched by the untimely death of their baby. She has worked professionally as a writer, editor, educator, and publisher, and she is passionate about giving voice to those who may not always be heard. Fletcher and her husband Bryan are the busy parents of five living children. Together their family advocates against the racism and disparities often found in underserved and marginalized communities. One of her favorite quotes is from Desmond Tutu: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”