BEFORE A BREATH

The inspection comes after a ProPublica investigation revealed that drugs made at the Glenmark Pharmaceuticals plant accounted for an outsized share of U.S. recalls for pills that didn’t dissolve properly and could harm people.

Series: Stillbirths: When Babies Die Before Taking Their First Breath

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The Film

Intimate, infuriating and ultimately hopeful, “Before a Breath” braids together the stories of three mothers determined to make pregnancy safer after losing children to stillbirth.

After the loss of her daughter Autumn, Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya discovers that more than 20,000 stillbirths occur every year in the U.S. — and at least 1 in 4 is likely preventable. She goes to Washington, battling political inertia as she fights to make stillbirth research and prevention a federal priority. Kanika Harris, a maternal health advocate and doula, tells the story of her twins, Kodjo and Zindzi, as she trains a new generation of Black birth workers. And Stephanie Lee, a nurse leader at a Manhattan hospital, seeks answers about what might have led to her daughter Elodie’s stillbirth as she takes a leap of faith and becomes pregnant again.

Inspired by ProPublica’s groundbreaking reporting on the stillbirth crisis, which was a finalist for a 2023 Pulitzer Prize, the film is a powerful story of grief, healing and three mothers demanding that the U.S. do better by expecting parents.

Featuring

Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya is a stillbirth parent advocate and the mother behind the SHINE for Autumn Act, named in honor of her daughter, Autumn, who was stillborn in 2011.
Kanika Harris is a birth justice advocate and doula. She holds a doctorate in health behavior and health education and is the executive director of the National Association to Advance Black Birth.
Stephanie Lee is an associate director of nursing in critical care at a New York City hospital. She was also a patient at the Rainbow Clinic at Mount Sinai.

Join the Conversation

“Before a Breath” is free to stream on YouTube.

If you’d like to host a screening or conversation in your community, please sign up here and use these guides to help you get started.

Community screening guide Health professionals guide

Watch More

You can find our trailer, sneak peek scenes and additional videos on the “Before a Breath” playlist on YouTube.

Learn More

Read ProPublica’s reporting and participate in our stillbirth memorial.

Get more information about stillbirths and care for parents of loss.

  • The Rainbow Clinic at Mount Sinai is one of several clinics opening around the country that care for pregnant patients with a history of perinatal loss.
  • The University of Utah recently opened a Stillbirth Center of Excellence, a hub of efforts to end preventable stillbirths in the U.S.
  • The International Stillbirth Alliance promotes collaboration for the prevention of stillbirth and newborn death worldwide.
  • Bereavement support groups for families of loss are available around the country and online. Your local hospitals and birth centers may suggest some.

Stay in Touch

Film Team

  • Nadia Sussman Director and Producer
  • Liz Moughon Director of Photography and Producer
  • Duaa Eldeib Reporter and Producer
  • Lisa Riordan Seville Producer
  • Margaret Cheatham Williams Editor
  • Mahdokht Mahmoudabadi Additional Editor
  • Mandy Hoffman Composer
  • Almudena Toral Executive Producer

Filed under —

Portrait of Nadia Sussman
Nadia Sussman

Nadia Sussman is a video journalist at ProPublica.

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Portrait of Liz Moughon
Liz Moughon

Liz Moughon is a video and film fellow at ProPublica.

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Portrait of Duaa Eldeib
Duaa Eldeib

I report on health care and racial inequity, with a focus on maternal and child health.

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Send me tips and documents about stories you think need investigating. You can reach out by email or securely on Signal. I take the protection of my sources extremely seriously.

Margaret Cheatham Williams

Margaret Cheatham Williams was a video and film editor at ProPublica.

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Lisa Riordan Seville

Lisa Riordan Seville is ProPublica’s senior producer for video and film.

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