The Supplement systematically evaluated a total of 62 different maternal interventions for prevention of
stillbirths. These interventions included general supportive measures to improve environmental and social
conditions, as well as interventions that address maternal nutrition, infections, and other conditions during
pregnancy and childbirth. The selection of these specific interventions was based on biological plausibility and
possibility of inclusion as a component in antenatal and intrapartum health care programmes. Figure 2 displays
these interventions along the continuum of care from pre-pregnancy through labour.
The intervention evaluations were separated into six papers as follows: epidemiology, global burden and risk
factors for stillbirths [1]; behavioural and nutritional interventions before and during pregnancy [2]; interventions
during pregnancy for management and prevention of medical disorders and infections [3]; interventions for
screening and monitoring [4]; interventions during labour [5]; and strategies to improve service delivery and
community demand [6].
Based on analysis of the evidence for impact of the different peri-conceptional, antenatal, and intrapartum
maternal interventions on prevention of stillbirths, the interventions were categorised into levels according
to the strength and quality of evidence, and therefore, the level of confidence in recommending interventions
for wide-scale delivery in programmes. Five interventions with proven benefit in reducing stillbirths were
identified, while another nine interventions had some evidence of impact