The number of stillborn babies has fallen sharply in the Netherlands over the past twenty years. In the year 2000 there were still 1,000, in the past 400.
This is shown by international research by UNICEF. This study showed that the Netherlands is one of the countries that has made the most proportionate progress in reducing lifeless births, NOS.nl reports.
Read also: 'Baby mortality high due to failing system'
According to UNICEF, the reason for the sharp decrease is the various policy measures and more attention for vulnerable pregnant women and a healthy lifestyle.
Worldwide, the number of stillbirths has decreased by 35 percent to about two million per year. Most stillbirths occur in poorer regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The coronavirus is likely to throw a spanner in the works for the decline in the number of stillborn babies. That number is expected to increase in the coming year as access to health care deteriorates due to the coronavirus pandemic.
