Senate approves bill designating Sept. 19 as Ohio Stillbirth Prevention Day

The Ohio Senate on Tuesday passed House Bill 4, designating Sept. 19 as Ohio Stillbirth Prevention Day and urging attention to stillbirth prevention and bereavement supports.

Senator Brenner, speaking in support of the bill, said the measure honors families who have suffered pregnancy loss and raises awareness about stillbirth risks. “This is a shared experience among many mothers in Ohio and deserves the recognition that House Bill 4 will create,” Brenner said on the Senate floor.

The bill’s proponents told senators that stillbirth is a persistent public-health issue in Ohio. Citing the Ohio Department of Health, Brenner said stillbirth occurs at a rate of about 1 in 160 deliveries and that state data showed 850 fetal deaths in Ohio in 2019 with a fetal mortality rate of about 6.3 per 1,000. Senator Craig added that 2020 data showed approximately 745 stillbirths, “about 6 babies in every thousand births,” and emphasized racial disparities in outcomes.

Supporters framed the designation as a tool to increase public awareness so families can work with clinicians, midwives and doulas to reduce preventable losses. Craig said the day would “bring attention to the issue so that mothers and families can work with their doctors, nurses, midwives, and doulas to avoid a loss of this magnitude.”

The Senate approved the bill by voice and roll call; the clerk recorded 33 ayes and 0 nays. The bill was announced as "passed and entitled." The title and sponsorship lists were agreed to on the floor.

The measure is a symbolic designation to focus attention on stillbirth prevention and does not itself appropriate new funds or create specific programs. The bill’s sponsors and committee chair received unanimous committee approval prior to floor consideration, according to remarks on the record.