New Brighton woman fights for federal funding for stillbirth prevention

NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. — Amanda Duffy said she didn't even realize stillbirth was a risk when she was pregnant with her daughter, Reese, a decade ago. But when she arrived 16 hours before her scheduled delivery, she was already gone. 

"It was earth-shattering. I always say that my life as I knew it ended at that point, and then a new life started, and one that I did not sign up for," Duffy said. 

She is not alone in her grief: 1 in 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Some reports suggest 25% of stillbirths are potentially avoidable. 

Duffy explained Reese's movements in utero started to change, which can be a sign of distress. But she said she was told it was normal, and only later learned that it was a warning sign when it was too late. 

"I knew, moving forward, that I would take my anger and sorrow and funnel that into Reese's legacy to try and make change for other people," she said.

She and others dealing with similar loss pushed members of Congress to expand access to stillbirth prevention, which Duffy called "forgotten" in maternal health care. This July, she saw her advocacy turn into action when President Biden signed into law a bipartisan change that unlocks existing federal funding for stillbirth prevention nationwide, giving the issue both resources and recognition. 

Thursday marked National Stillbirth Prevention Day and Duffy petitioned the state to similarly recognize the occasion. The Interstate 35W and Lowry bridges in Minneapolis lit up blue and pink to commemorate it at her request. 

"When I went to the U.S. Capitol to start talking to lawmakers, there wasn't one person that I came in contact with that said this is not important. They all said, 'this is absolutely important, and this is something that needs to change,'" she said.

Dr. Elizabeth Alabi, an OB-GYN with Hennepin Healthcare, said people of color, especially Black women, are at an increased risk for stillbirth. Other factors like obesity, diabetes and other health conditions heighten risk, too. 

Alabi advises people thinking about pregnancy to get preconception counseling to assess health issues that could affect pregnancy to optimize maternal health. Prenatal care and visits to a physician are also essential.

But at home, expectant parents should monitor fetal movements, she added. Duffy works with "Count the Kicks," a nonprofit educating parents about this that provides a free app that helps keep track of the frequency. 

"Your baby has a pattern, and so if you're not feeling that, if that pattern isn't happening or like a red flag is going off, those are things that you need to talk to your provider about," Alabi said. 

Duffy said she wishes she knew to follow Reese's movements more closely, which she did in two other pregnancies. Even though she counts Stillborn Prevention Act recently signed into law as a victory, her fight for families is not over.

"These babies are important, and they're loved, and they're very much wanted, and so I just want that conversation to continue," she said.