Stillbirth
Death of a fetus at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Stillbirth is typically defined as the death of a fetus at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source, resulting in a baby born without signs of life.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- neonatology
- pediatrics
- Causes
- Often unknown, pregnancy complications
- Risks
- Mother's age over 35
- smoking
- drug use
- use of assisted reproductive technology
- Diagnosis
- No fetal movement felt, ultrasound
- Treatment
- Induction of labor, dilation and evacuation
- Frequency
- 1.9 million (1 for every 72 total births)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Stillbirth is the death of a fetus at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the definition, and results in a baby born without signs of life. It often leaves mothers feeling guilt or grief. Unlike miscarriage or sudden infant death syndrome, its cause is frequently unknown. Possible causes include pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia, placental or umbilical cord problems, birth defects, infections such as malaria and syphilis, and poor maternal health. Risk factors include maternal age over 35, smoking, drug use, assisted reproductive technology, and first pregnancy. Suspected when no fetal movement is felt, stillbirth is confirmed by ultrasound.
Reader's Guide
Worldwide prevention of most stillbirths is possible with improved health systems. Around half of stillbirths occur during childbirth, more common in the developing than developed world. Treatment may involve medications to start labor or a surgery known as dilation and evacuation. Following a stillbirth, women are at higher risk of another (2.5% risk versus 0.4% baseline), though most subsequent pregnancies do not have similar problems. Depression, financial loss, and family breakdown are known complications. Stillbirth rates have declined, though more slowly since the 2000s. The term is mostly used in a human context, but the same phenomenon can occur in all species of placental mammals.
Did You Know?
- A pregnant woman sleeping on her back after 28 weeks of pregnancy may be a risk factor for stillbirth.
- About 10% of stillbirth cases are believed to be due to obesity, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
- In the United States, the highest rates of stillbirth occur among women of low socioeconomic status, those aged 35 or older, and African-American women.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is stillbirth?
Stillbirth is the delivery of a fetus that shows no signs of life at or beyond a defined gestational threshold, most commonly set at 20 or 28 weeks depending on the jurisdiction or medical body. It is clinically distinct from miscarriage, which applies to losses occurring earlier in pregnancy.
How many stillbirths occur worldwide each year?
In 2021, an estimated 1.9 million stillbirths occurred globally after 28 weeks of gestation, which works out to roughly one stillbirth for every 72 live births.
Has the global stillbirth rate improved in recent decades?
Yes — the number of stillbirths after 28 weeks dropped by about 35% between 2000 and 2021, falling from approximately 2.9 million to 1.9 million. Progress, however, has been uneven, with much of the remaining burden concentrated in low- and middle-income regions.
Why do different sources use different week thresholds for stillbirth?
The 20-week cutoff is common in the United States and several European countries, while the 28-week mark aligns with the World Health Organization's definition and underpins much of the global surveillance data. The difference largely reflects legal, cultural, and clinical conventions rather than a sharp biological boundary.
Why is stillbirth considered a major public-health priority?
Because the vast majority of stillbirths are preventable with timely antenatal care, the condition serves as a key indicator of a health system's ability to protect maternal and fetal well-being. Reducing stillbirths also signals broader improvements in access to skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric services.
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