Racial inequalities in baby loss: what the research tells us and what needs to change

When parents lose a baby, they are often left with questions they never imagined having to ask. Why did this happen? Could anything have been done differently? Will they ever know?

Yet the risk of experiencing that loss is not the same for every family.

I find the continuing disparities in baby loss deeply troubling. We have known about them for years. There have been investigations, reports and repeated calls for change, yet a baby’s ethnicity remains associated with their risk of dying.

In June 2026, MBRRACE-UK published its latest findings on stillbirths and neonatal deaths in the UK, looking at babies born in 2024.

There was encouraging news. Across the UK, the extended perinatal mortality rate, which measures deaths shortly before, during or soon after birth, was 21% lower than in 2013. However, the improvements have not been shared equally.

Stillbirth rates continued to fall across almost all ethnic groups between 2023 and 2024. Yet Black and Asian babies remain at greater risk of dying before or shortly after birth than White babies.

The charity Sands, through its #EndInequalityInBabyLoss campaign, highlights the scale of these longstanding inequalities. Its published campaign figures show that Black babies are more than twice as likely to be stillborn as White babies, while Asian babies are almost 50% more likely to be stillborn.

These figures describe differences between population groups, not the risk faced by any individual family. Nor do they mean that every death could have been prevented.

Nevertheless, the disparities are too significant and persistent to ignore.

The MBRRACE-UK findings also show the influence of deprivation. Babies from the most deprived communities face higher mortality rates, with some ethnic groups particularly affected by the combination of ethnicity and socioeconomic disadvantage.

There is no single explanation.

Poverty, poorer housing, barriers to accessing healthcare and differences in underlying health conditions can all affect pregnancy outcomes. However, we also need to examine how women are treated when they seek maternity care.

In June 2026, the Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, chaired by Baroness Valerie Amos, published its final report following reviews of services at 12 NHS trusts in England.

Women described having their concerns dismissed or not being listened to. The investigation also identified serious problems with staffing, leadership and accountability, alongside inequalities associated with ethnicity, language and socioeconomic circumstances. Racism and discrimination were among the issues it found to be affecting the quality of care.

These findings echo those of the Sands Listening Project, which heard from 56 Black and Asian bereaved parents. Half believed they had received worse care or been treated differently because of their ethnicity. Parents spoke about poor communication, assumptions about their needs and concerns that were not taken seriously.

One of the things that concerns me most is how often women describe knowing that something was wrong, only to find that their concerns were dismissed.

A woman reporting reduced foetal movements, for example, should receive appropriate assessment and advice, regardless of her ethnicity, her command of English or whether she has previously attended hospital with similar concerns.

Nobody should have to struggle to convince a healthcare professional that they need help.

We have no shortage of reports identifying what is wrong with maternity care. What families need now is evidence that the findings are being taken seriously.

In May 2026, a letter backed by Sands and signed by over 3,300 people was handed in at Downing Street asking the Government to set clear targets for reducing the higher rate of baby loss in Black and Asian families.

The Government has since committed to measures including the national rollout of the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme. Sands has welcomed this commitment but continues to call for measurable national targets to close the mortality gap.

An October 2026 report from the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, Saving Babies’ Lives, makes further recommendations for improving maternity care. The report is intended to help shape the reforms being considered by the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce in England.

The report identifies five principles for a better maternity and neonatal system: safe, equitable, family-centred, accountable and evidence-driven care.

What matters most to me is the principle that a baby’s ethnicity or family circumstances should have no bearing on their chances of survival.

Achieving that will require properly staffed maternity services, reliable interpretation services, better communication and a willingness to challenge racism and discrimination wherever they arise.

Hospitals must also examine their own outcomes, identify inequalities and show what they are doing to address them. Without measurable improvements, it is difficult to judge whether changes are working.

Families must have a genuine voice in this process. Parents who have experienced poor care or lost a baby can identify problems that statistics and clinical reviews may miss.

In my work as a clinical negligence solicitor, I’ve seen how important it is for families to understand what happened when care may have fallen short. Were warning signs missed, or concerns raised but not acted upon? And if mistakes were made, what has the hospital done to prevent them happening again? An investigation should do more than provide answers for one family. Its findings should also help identify problems in maternity care that might otherwise go unrecognised.

Preventing avoidable deaths must remain the priority. However, we also need to think carefully about the support families receive after losing a baby.

Grief is deeply personal. Cultural beliefs, religious practices, language and family circumstances may all influence how parents experience loss and the support they need.

Some families may wish to follow particular religious or cultural traditions when saying goodbye to their baby. Others may need an interpreter to help them understand what happened or discuss difficult decisions about investigations and post-mortem examinations.

Staff need the time and confidence to ask parents what matters to them, rather than making assumptions.

Charities such as Sands and Tommy’s provide invaluable information and bereavement support. Their campaigns also ensure that the experiences of families remain central to discussions about maternity safety.

At RWK Goodman, we explored the importance of compassionate, individual support in our special baby loss edition of Team Around the Client, which includes personal accounts from bereaved families and contributions from organisations supporting them.

On 20 November 2026, RWK Goodman is proud to sponsor the Equitable Bereavement Care Conference in London, organised by Black Baby Loss Awareness C.I.C.

Under the theme Transforming Lived Experience into Clinical Improvement, the conference will bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, community organisations and others committed to improving bereavement care.

I hope it will encourage some difficult but necessary conversations.

For too long, families have been telling us what needs to change. The research has reinforced what many of them already knew. We owe it to families who have lost their babies, and to those expecting theirs, to make sure the lessons are finally acted upon.