FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First Phase of new, national campaign Kicks Off with the World Premiere of PUSH Short Film
New York, NY – October 29, 2024 – Today marks the launch of Stillness Is An Illness, a groundbreaking national public health campaign focused on ending preventable stillbirth through clinical advocacy, education, and policy change. This three-phase initiative aims to bring life-saving advancements to prenatal care standards, especially regarding altered fetal movement (AFM), a critical yet often overlooked indicator of fetal distress. The campaign’s first phase, Awareness, begins with the world premiere of PUSH, a provocative short film by award-winning writer and director Ingrid Haas now available at stillnessisanillness.com
Each day in the United States, 65 babies are born still, with research suggesting that at least one in four of these losses could be prevented. Changes in fetal movement are frequently the earliest sign of distress; however, prenatal care lacks standardized guidelines to address this warning sign. The Stillness Is An Illness campaign aims to shift this paradigm, and encourage the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) to integrate standardized protocols for altered fetal movement by 2025.
“Too often, families facing stillbirths are blindsided by a preventable tragedy that current prenatal care standards overlook,” said Samantha Durante Banerjee, Executive Director of PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy. “With this campaign, we’re striving to elevate stillbirth prevention into a maternal public health priority.”
Three Phases to National Impact
The Stillness Is An Illness campaign outlines a clear path to reform prenatal care:
Phase 1: Awareness (Current Phase) – PUSH serves as the focal point for raising awareness and building a network of advocates nationwide who will amplify the urgency of stillbirth prevention.
Phase 2: Activation (2024 - Raising Funds) – This phase will focus on mobilizing healthcare professionals with resources and education, equipping them to champion top-down change within the medical system.
Phase 3: Impact (2025) – The campaign’s target is to drive ACOG to adopt nationwide protocols that include provider education and clinical guidelines for addressing altered fetal movement in the third trimester.
“Our aim is to create an environment where both families and healthcare providers recognize and respond to fetal distress signs with the utmost urgency,” Banerjee continued. “In a nation that ranks 48th out of 49 high-income countries in reducing stillbirth rates, we need to prioritize education on fetal movement to close this gap.”
The premiere of PUSH highlights the powerful message at the heart of the campaign. The 7-minute film captures the journey of a pregnant woman in her third trimester who detects a shift in her baby’s movement. In parallel storylines, the film shows two potential outcomes underscoring the impact of a single medical decision.
“In creating PUSH, my goal was to ignite a critical conversation around stillbirth prevention,” shared director Ingrid Haas. “I hope the film reminds families and healthcare providers alike that a simple screening or conversation could change everything.”
“We made PUSH knowing that if people can truly experience this story, they’ll feel the urgency that so many families live with every day,” said Ryan Tarvin, Founder & CEO of KOBASE. “Through the power of film, we want to equip parents and healthcare providers with the tools to demand change from ACOG and say, this has to stop. Stillness Is An Illness isn't just a campaign—it’s a call to action to make preventable stillbirth a thing of the past.”
Starting October 29, 2024, PUSH will be publicly available at stillnessisanillness.com where viewers can learn more about the campaign and join the movement to end preventable stillbirth in the U.S. by 2035.
For more information, visit pushpregnancy.org
Media contact:
Laura Evans laura@lauraevansmedia.com
Daniela Sicuranza daniela@lauraevansmedia.com
About PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy
PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy is on a mission to end preventable stillbirth, and is not taking no for an answer. 65 babies die in the second half of pregnancy every single day in the U.S. - that’s 21,000 each year, most of them otherwise healthy, and all of them deeply loved. Many of these babies could have been saved. Working closely with medical researchers and doctors, PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy exists to eradicate preventable stillbirth in the U.S by 2035. Learn more at www.pushpregnancy.org
About KOBASE
Kobase is a next-gen creative partner that shapeshifts to meet the needs of its clients. By combining creative people with proprietary tech, Kobase cuts the fluff of traditional agencies to focus on ideas over process and deliver work that leaves a lasting impact. Learn more at kobase.io
About Ingrid Haas
Ingrid Haas is an award winning Canadian writer, director, actor and mother based in Los Angeles. www.ingridhaas.com.