"Worryingly, the ONS also confirmed that, in 2021, the number of stillbirths rose for the first time since 2014, from 3.9 babies in every 1,000 in 2020 to 4.2 in 1,000 last year.
Rates of stillbirth continued to differ across the country, with more deprived areas, including the North East and Yorkshire, experiencing higher rates than the most affluent regions. This means that the most vulnerable women in the UK continue to have worse pregnancy experiences.
COVID-19 has had both indirect and direct effects on pregnant women and people over the last 2 years. Indirectly, the pandemic had a significant impact on maternity services, putting them under greater pressure. There were higher rates of stillbirth in January 2021, which coincided with the peak of the second wave of COVID-19.
Directly, our research has shown that getting COVID-19 during pregnancy could cause problems in the placenta, and this can increase the risk of pregnancy complications including premature birth and stillbirth."
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