Stillbirth or fetal death is a loss of the pregnancy. It is not a very common occurrence, but unfortunately remains as a very painful experience for many parents. Reasons and risk factors that lead to stillbirth are various and it is not simple to talk about exact ones in advance. Our aim is to explore the incident as closely as possible and inform our readers about common causes and threats.
Stillbirth is the death of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Most fetal deaths occur before a female goes into labor and a significantly less number of stillbirths happen during labour and birth. Miscarriage and stillbirth, both refer to a loss of pregnancy. The main difference lies within the stage of pregnancy when they occur (miscarriage before 20 weeks and stillbirth after). However stillbirth too has a further classification:
If a female stops to feel a baby moving or kicking, experiences cramping , pain and bleeding from the vagina, she should immediately call a doctor or go straight to the emergency room. The healthcare provider will use an ultrasound to check baby’s heartbeat.
While causes of stillbirth can be completely individual, based on the experience we listed all of the common reasons:
The exact reason why placenta may not function normally is not yet completely understood. However, we know that problems with the placenta is one of the most common causes of baby’s death in the uterus. As placenta provides oxygen and nutrients for the baby, it’s dysfunction causes problems with baby’s growth.
It may happen that placenta separates from the wall of the uterus before birth. This condition is called placental abruption. Females who smoke during pregnancy, are more likely to experience placental abruption than others.
Obesity, smoking, frequent alcohol and drug intake reduce the oxygen delivered to a baby via placenta.
If a female is several weeks past her due date, the placenta may not longer be as functional as before. In this case doctors will normally suggest to induce the labour in order to prevent placenta from ‘wearing out’.
Infections in placenta, mother or a child may cause serious complications. It also includes flu that mother has accidentally caught during pregnancy.
Diabetes, high blood pressure, trauma, injury, thyroid disorder.
Antibodies that are supposed to attack infections, might mistakenly attack any other tissue in the body. Doctors usually advise females with lupus not to get pregnant due to risks it may cause to mother as well as to child.
Labour that begins earlier than 37th week of pregnancy.
Sometimes babies are smaller than they should be for their gestational age. The prematurity is often the cause of stillbirth.
Birth or chromosomal defects and genetic conditions can lead to fetal death. About 10% of stillborn babies have birth defects including down syndrome or insufficient development of an organ such as heart and brain.
As females get older, chances of stillbirth increase accordingly, reaching the highest point by the 41th week of pregnancy.
If baby is relatively large, it may happen that his or her shoulders are stuck behind mother’s pubic bone. Most of these children recover, but shoulder dystocia can still lead to the fetal death.
Several factors are confirmed to make female’s chances of stillbirth higher. It will not come as a surprise that risk factors include poor lifestyle choices. Females should know in advance that it is crucial to stay as healthy as possible while bearing a child.
Chances of fetal death may increase with:
Usually the labour will start itself after 2 weeks of fetal death. However, due to medical reasons (such as infection)health provider may recommend to give birth as soon as possible. Options include:
For the most of the females, fetal death is a single time experience. Doctors have to make sure that the health condition present during the previous pregnancy is not a threat any more. After females are ready mentally and physically, they manage to have a normal pregnancy and deliver healthy children. The keypoint is to never stop fighting and overcome all of the obstacles despite the painful experiences – just because it’s worth it.
The word infertility, at first glance, may sound like something terrifying. Couples become stressed after several unsuccessful efforts and start to give up their hope. Rule number one is to never overreact and don’t get depressed about the situation that … Continue reading
Both genders are equally likely to experience fertility issues. To give you an impression of how common male infertility is, it affects approximately 7 % of men’s population. To define shortly, male who can not cause fertile female’s pregnancy, probably … Continue reading
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormone imbalance that can lead to fertility problems in females. It is in the list of treatable causes of female infertility and can be the result of wrong lifestyle choices. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is … Continue reading
Endometriosis is a pretty common issue among females who have fertility problems. It doesn’t always cause infertility, but is definitely the condition to be aware of. What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a condition, when tissue that is supposed to line the … Continue reading
Miscarriage is defined as a loss of pregnancy during the first 20 weeks. Unfortunately it is a common experience. To overcome the emotional stress and fears associated with this term, it is a huge step forward to be familiar with … Continue reading
Stillbirth or fetal death is a loss of the pregnancy. It is not a very common occurrence, but unfortunately remains as a very painful experience for many parents. Reasons and risk factors that lead to stillbirth are various and it … Continue reading
Pregnancy is a very special period that needs a lot of attention. A female body undergoes a number of changes during the gestation. It is a common experience to have mild headaches, nausea, dizziness and other minor discomforts. However if … Continue reading
Journey to parenthood is sometimes full of obstacles and challenges. Before reaching a healthy pregnancy, female organism has to complete several complicated stages. It happens that our bodies are not always capable of dealing with their tasks. Implantation failure is … Continue reading
Can we estimate results of In Vitro Fertilization? What are the chances of a successful embryo transfer? What do embryo quality and grading mean? Do they tell anything about possible outcomes? These are the questions intended parents worry about the most. … Continue reading
Nowadays, intended parents have an access to a number of information. This is logical, because future parents in need of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, have to be familiar with every single aspect of this process. The primary subject … Continue reading
