Stillbirth affects nearly 26,000 women in America annually, with unknown causes accounting for 50% of cases. Problems with the placenta, infections, and genetic factors are known causes. The National Institutes of Health is conducting a five-year study to investigate the causes of stillbirth.
Fetal death, or stillbirth, is an extremely sensitive topic and can be devastating for couples who experience it. In America, nearly 26,000 women experience it every year. In approximately every 200 pregnancies, a stillbirth will occur.
The medical definition of a stillbirth is a baby who is born after 24 weeks with no sign of life. If the baby is born without signs of life before the 24-week period, it is called a miscarriage. The fetus will die in the mother before being delivered.
The number of fetal deaths that occur is extremely high. In about 50% of cases, the reason for death is unknown. There are some indications of possible causes, such as infections, umbilical cord accidents, and genetic factors. Known causes include mothers with a history of diabetes and blood pressure problems.
Other known causes include problems with the placenta and eclampsia, which causes seizures during pregnancy. There may also be serious irregularities or abnormalities in the baby that contribute to the birth of a baby. There have been cases of premature rupture or rupture of the membrane that encloses the baby.
There are some infections that are also known to cause fetal death. Although rare, toxoplasmosis has been recorded as a cause. Mothers who were infected with German measles or listeriosis also suffered fetal deaths. Fetal death can also occur when the blood types of the mother and baby do not match. This is called rhesus factor disease, and women who have this condition need to be treated medically to prevent stillbirths.
Another known cause is anti-phospholipid syndrome, which causes the baby to starve of oxygen and essential nutrients in the uterus. This happens when the placenta fails to supply nutrients due to blood clotting. Treatment for this condition includes blood-thinning medications.
Problems with the placenta are a major factor in fetal death. The placenta can detach early in pregnancy, causing a lack of blood flow to the fetus. Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is the medical term for the baby who cannot achieve full growth in the uterus. This condition accounts for at least 5% of all stillbirths.
Stillbirth is a condition that many women understandably don’t want to talk about. For this reason, the exact figures are unknown. Another reason that fetal death figures vary is that many hospitals are not required to issue death certificates for these deaths.
In 2004, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a five-year nationwide study of fetal deaths. The NIH is spending three million US dollars (USD) on the study. It is hoped that the research in this study will shed new light on the causes of this worldwide problem.
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