Stephanie's Stillbirth Story I Before a Breath: America's Stillbirth Crisis Documentary

“Before a Breath” follows three mothers who have lost children to stillbirth and are striving to make pregnancy safer. Watch the full documentary:    • America’s Stillbirth Crisis: Before a Brea...  

Every year, more than 20,000 pregnancies in the U.S. end in a stillbirth, the death of an expected child at 20 weeks or more of pregnancy. Research shows at least 1 in 4 stillbirths may be preventable. The U.S. ranks as one of the worst among wealthy countries in reducing its stillbirth rate.

After the stillbirth of her daughter, Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya goes to Washington, battling political inertia as she fights to pass the SHINE for Autumn Act, legislation named for her stillborn child. Kanika Harris, a maternal health advocate, takes change into her own hands, telling the story of Kodjo and Zindzi, the twins she lost, as she trains a new generation of Black birth workers. Stephanie Lee, a nurse leader in Manhattan, seeks answers about her daughter Elodie’s stillbirth as she takes the ultimate leap of faith, preparing again to give birth, under the care of the Rainbow Clinic at Mount Sinai, which offers specialized care for parents who have experienced these losses.

Inspired by Duaa Eldeib’s groundbreaking reporting, which was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, this tender, infuriating and ultimately hopeful film shines a light on the aftermath of stillbirth. "Before a Breath" is distributed by ProPublica and The WNET Group.

Explore ProPublica’s in-depth reporting on the U.S. stillbirth crisis at propublica.org/series/stillbirths.

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