What Is Stillbirth?
Stillbirth is the death of a baby after the 20th week of pregnancy but before delivery
Is stilbirth & miscarriage the same type of baby loss?
No stillbirth & miscarriage are both two different things. When a baby dies before delivery, many people commonly think of miscarriage. Both stillbirth and miscarriage are types of pregnancy loss, but they differ by when the loss occurs. A miscarriage (sometimes called a spontaneous abortion) is when a baby dies before the 20th week of pregnancy. Stillbirth is the death of a baby after the 20th week of pregnancy but before delivery. Stillbirth and miscarriage are separately defined not because one or the other is an easier or more difficult loss with which to deal, but because they differ in many ways. Stillbirth and miscarriage have different causes, need different evaluations, and differ medically and in the ways that parents and families can best be helped.
Who can be affected by stillbirth?
Stillbirth is common. It may affect anyone. There is no way to predict when stillbirth will happen or who will experience it. Stillbirth occurs in families of all races, religions, and income levels.
How can a baby be stillborn?
"Why did this happen?" Sometimes a reason is found; other times a specific cause remains unknown.
The top five causes of stillbirth are given by doctors are:
· Childbirth complications
· Maternal infections in pregnancy
· Maternal conditions especially hypertension and diabetes
· Fetal growth restriction
· Congenital abnormalities
Other Identifiable causes of stillbirth generally fall into one of three different categories: birth defects in the baby, problems with the placenta or umbilical cord, or maternal illnesses or conditions which may sometimes affect pregnancy.
• Birth defects are common but often overlooked causes for stillbirth. About one-fourth of babies who are stillborn have one or more birth defects that are responsible for their death.
• The
placenta and umbilical cord are the baby’s "lifeline" for oxygen and nutrients. Problems in either one may completely cut off or severely interfere with the needed flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the baby. Although commonly pointed to as the likely cause for death of a baby, problems with the placenta or umbilical cord actually account for only a moderate number of stillbirths.
• Although uncommon,
maternal conditions may be responsible for stillbirth. Certain illnesses in the mother, such as diabetes or hypertension, and their treatments, sometimes cause stillbirths. An increased risk for stillbirth is also associated with the use of certain recreational drugs, particularly cocaine.
In addition, there are many other rare causes of stillbirth. Whether or not a specific cause for your baby’s death is identified, it is most important to remember that
stillbirths most often are not caused by something you did or did not do.
Such evaluation is valuable to most parents as they try to deal with the full impact of their loss. In fact, very few parents express regret for having the suggested evaluations done. Nevertheless, some may think that such assessment violates their baby and intrudes upon their grief. Parents must choose what is best for them. Whatever the decision, it is respected.
What are the Preventive measures to avoid Stillbirth??
The risk of stillbirth can be lowered to some extent by good prenatal care and the mother's avoidance of exposure to infectious diseases, smoking, alcohol abuse, or drug consumption. Tests before delivery (
antepartum testing ), such as ultrasound, the alpha-fetoprotein blood test, and the electronic fetal nonstress test, can be used to evaluate the health of the fetus before there is a stillbirth What will be Complexions for Future Pregnancies after stillbirth
Generally one stillbirth does not predict another. On average, there is approximately a 3% chance for stillbirth to happen again in the next pregnancy—or approximately a 97% chance that a future pregnancy would not end in stillbirth. Extensive evaluation of the baby may provide information that allows a geneticist, genetics counselor, or your doctor to determine more accurately what the chances are that stillbirth could happen again. Finding a specific cause may imply a much higher or lower risk than this average one. Specific causes, when discovered, more often result in a decrease in the estimated risk that stillbirth may happen again and less often in an increase in that estimated risk. In almost all circumstances, subsequent healthy pregnancies are possible.
