Bereaved parents, researchers and clinicians are gathering in Brisbane for the Waves of Change conference, which seeks to deliver insights into the latest advancements in birth, perinatal care, stillbirth prevention and bereavement care.
Held on 8–9 August, the conference also serves as the Western Pacific regional meeting of the International Stillbirth Alliance and features national and international speakers.
Co-Director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (Stillbirth CRE) Professor Vicki Flenady AM said that stillbirth rates remain tragically high.
“More than 3,000 Australian families experience the death of a baby during pregnancy or soon after birth each year. Despite advances in care, one in three stillbirths remain unexplained,” Prof Flenady said.
“Many families have no cause of death for their babies. We simply cannot accept that so many babies are dying without a known cause.”
Stillbirth CRE is a nationally funded centre of research excellence based at Mater Research and The University of Queensland.
The conference will host 16 parents from the Bereaved Parent Advocacy Committee (BPAC), which was established by the Stillbirth CRE to ensure families are meaningfully involved in shaping research priorities, study design and national policy alongside researchers and representatives from organisations such as Red Nose, Still Aware and Bears of Hope.
Sarah Jade Matheson and her family
Among them is Gold Coast mother-of-four Sarah Jade Matheson, 40, who has turned her personal tragedy into advocacy.
Following severe complications with his brain development, Mrs Matheson gave birth to her second child, Aksel Jude, in February 2018 at just 33 weeks’ gestation after he suffered a stroke or seizure.
A full autopsy and whole exome sequencing—a genetic test used to identify complex genetic issues—were performed for research purposes, with no causes uncovered.
Mrs Matheson, who has since had two more children, said that pregnancy after loss is “rough”, especially when you have no answers.
"My grief was so intense, and I was a bundle of stress, however I’ve been able to create a bereavement space for myself and focus on memories of Aksel for both me and my family,” Mrs Matheson said.
“Bereavement care is at the heart of my advocacy.”
Mrs Matheson joined the Stillbirth CRE in 2023, where she has since supported bereaved parents and contributed her lived experience to shaping research and advocacy efforts.
“Parents walking through the depths of grief deserve to feel supported, to know they are not alone, and to have access to the tools and care they need,” she said.
