Fetal growth charts and avoidable deaths

The GAP clinical team have in recent weeks been receiving an increasing number of requests for advice from non-GAP NHS Trusts reviewing their stillbirths. We have also been contacted by bereaved parents, looking for answers. Sadly, many of these deaths appeared to have been
potentially avoidable. There was a recurrent theme that fetal growth restriction had not been recognised with the growth chart in use locally.

We arranged a Webinar for clinicians from GAP and non-GAP units to raise awareness. The invite with background is available here.​

The webinar, held on 16 April 2025, had over 200 registrations from 70+ Trusts. It was not recorded, so as to encourage free discussion.
Following multiple requests for the slides, we made a post-webinar recording.

00:00 Introduction and summary of cases
10:56 Review of guidelines and evidence
37:00 Comments, Q & A and illustrations
(Total length: 57 minutes)

Update - Dec 2025:

Following meetings with bereaved parents and representatives of RCOG, SBL and the PI, NHS England issued a Safety Alert advising all NHS Trusts using Intergrowth charts to stop their use by 31 March 2026.

The Perinatal Institute followed this with an open letter to NHS Trusts, with evidence based advice to help Intergrowth using units in their consideration of what charts to use instead.