This petition is dedicated to the memory of Little Judith, born still on September 18, 2012, at 38 weeks of pregnancy .

(To continue in French: https://www.change.org/Mettons-fin-aux-mortinaissances-au-Canada

Little Judith is the daughter of Nadine Belzile, one of the co-founders of the Canadian Collaborative for Stillbirth Prevention (cc4sp.ca). Like 70% of stillbirth mothers, Nadine did not have any medical condition putting her at particular risk of a stillbirth. And as is the case of almost half of stillbirths in Canada, Little Judith died of asphyxia. Nadine's placenta was infected with Group B Strep and oxygen was cut off to the baby.

The saddest part of this story is that Little Judith could have been easily saved. Indeed, like many mothers having experienced a stillbirth, Nadine felt a reduction in the movements of her baby in the days preceding her death. When she mentioned it to her doctor, the doctor replied that it was normal for babies to move less at the end of the pregnancy since they are preparing themselves for delivery or because they run out of room to move. This is a persistent myth that can prevent mothers from receiving appropriate care for their babies when they feel reduced movements during the third trimester of pregnancy. Two days later, Little Judith's heart had stopped beating.

Each year, Statistics Canada reports more than 3,000 stillbirths , which represent 8.4 stillbirths every day in Canada. The country's stillbirth rate has been stagnant for over 20 years while countries such as England, Scotland and the Netherlands have successfully reduced their stillbirth rates by 20% to 50%.

On February 23, 2021, a petition of 726 signatures, launched by Nadine, was presented to the House of Commons of Canada to ask the government to follow the lead of these countries and take action to end preventable stillbirths in our country. 

The Canadian Collaborative for Stillbirth Prevention (CC4SP) was created to bring individuals and organizations together to call on the Government of Canada to act now to end preventable stillbirths in our country. We are asking the government to:

• Enact the recommendations of the petition presented to the House of Commons. ( https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-2467
• Develop and implement a national action plan to reduce stillbirths by 30% by 2030. ( https://www.cc4sp.ca/national-action-plan

Canada must act now! With your support, we can make a difference, and we can show our government that stillbirth matters to us. 

We need you. We need your voice. We need your support. Please sign and share this petition to bring change and help put an end to preventable stillbirths.

Once you've signed the petition, please visit our website at www.cc4sp.ca to join the Canadian Collaborative for Stillbirth Prevention and learn more about our mission.

The CC4SP plans to present this petition to the Canadian Minister of Health during the fall of 2022.