Stillbirth

Prevalence and Risks for Stillbirth

The fetal death usually occurs prior to labor and can be caused by a number of factors, including genetic conditions, infections, abnormalities in the placenta, and trauma to the mother resulting in hemorrhaging. Sometimes simply attributed to “placenta failure” (which means something went wrong with the placenta but no one knows for certain), unexplained stillbirths claim more babies each year than sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A full one-half of all stillbirths fall into the category of “unexplained.”

While many advances have been made in prenatal care and early diagnosis of fetal problems, the rate of stillbirths has remained the same since the 1990s, about 26,000 a year, after being in steady decline since the 1950s. Researchers have not been able to determine why this is the case, although studies of the unexplained stillbirth phenomenon are rare.

According to the Surgeon General, the most preventable cause of stillbirth, as well as other health problems in pregnancy, is smoking. Women at greater risk for stillbirths also include those who are African American, are obese, are of advanced maternal age, have a history of prior fetal death, suffer from maternal diseases, or whose fetus does not grow properly. Poverty also increases the likelihood of a stillbirth.

A study of overweight women in Norway found that obese women were three times more likely to suffer a fetal death as women who were not overweight. Similarly, the more advanced the age of the mother, the more likely she is to suffer a fetal death. Poverty and the associated lack of available prenatal care, proper diet, and attendant stress levels have also shown to have an impact. A similar study conducted in Denmark from 1996 to 2002 found a relationship between heavy coffee drinking and stillbirth. Of the more than 88,000 women in the study, the women who drank the most coffee were the most likely to suffer miscarriage or stillbirth.

In the Tragic Event of Fetal Death

Once a fetal death has been diagnosed, there are two options from which a mother can choose. Spontaneous labor usually occurs within two weeks, but many parents opt for the physician to induce labor, which some doctors believe will prevent other medical problems such as infection, and perhaps most importantly, relieve stress and facilitate the grieving process. Additionally, results of laboratory testing can be more productive if the examination is conducted soon after the fetal death. The fetus, placenta, and umbilical cord are routinely examined, and in most cases, an autopsy is performed along with testing for genetic abnormalities or infection.

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