Still births are more common than Down's syndrome and cot death.

A Stillbirth and Neonatal Death (Sands) charity survey found that prospective parents are not aware of risk factors and don't know what level of care they should expect, or when they should raise concerns.

Sands also found that in the United Kingdom the risk of baby death is underplayed, with a lack of focus on strategies for prevention.

Professor Jim Dornan of the Head of Foetal Medicine Department at Queen's University Belfast is quoted as saying: "...the real problem is low-risk mums with high-risk babies that are not being identified before their demise."