South OC Times

U.S. Representatives Young Kim of California and Kathy Castor of Florida have taken steps to address the ongoing stillbirth public health crisis. Last week, they highlighted the stories of over 1,500 affected parents and loved ones in the Congressional Record. They are urging Congress to pass their bipartisan Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act before the end of the year.

The proposed legislation, which has already been unanimously approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is currently waiting for a vote from House Leadership.

"Despite alarming statistics, stillbirth is one of the most underfunded and understudied public health issues today," stated Rep. Kim. "To address high stillbirth rates, we need to improve data collection, research, and awareness. The SHINE for Autumn Act would do just that. I hope for swift action from Congress to ensure healthier pregnancies and decrease stillbirth rates."

Rep. Castor added, "At least one out of every four stillbirths is estimated to be preventable, but there is still too much we do not know. That’s why we need real change that will lead to measurable improvements, and the SHINE for Autumn Act will help achieve this goal. I urge my colleagues to make the SHINE for Autumn Act law before the end of the year to confront this crisis and improve outcomes for mothers and babies."

The SHINE for Autumn Act seeks to close gaps in data collection, research, and education regarding stillbirths through several initiatives:

- Grants provided to states aimed at supporting data collection on stillbirths.

- Development of guidelines by HHS in collaboration with healthcare providers.

- Establishment of a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship Program at NIH focused on funding research fellowships related to stillbirth.

- A report evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives after five years.