The highest risk of stillbirth was seen at 42 weeks with 10.8 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies (95% CI 9.2–12.4 per 10,000) (Table 2).
What is the most common cause of stillbirth?
Failure of the placenta is the most common known reason for a baby to be stillborn. About half of all stillbirths are linked to complications with the placenta. The placenta provides nutrients (food) and oxygen for the baby when he or she is growing in the womb, connecting the baby to its mother's blood supply.
How can I lower my risk of stillbirth?
- Go to all your antenatal appointments. It's important not to miss any of your antenatal appointments.
- Eat healthily and keep active.
- Stop smoking.
- Avoid alcohol in pregnancy.
- Go to sleep on your side.
- Tell your midwife about any drug use.
- Have the flu jab.
- Avoid people who are ill.
What would cause a stillbirth at 38 weeks?
A stillbirth is the death of a baby in the womb after week 20 of the mother's pregnancy. The reasons go unexplained for 1/3 of cases. The other 2/3 may be caused by problems with the placenta or umbilical cord, high blood pressure, infections, birth defects, or poor lifestyle choices.
What are the main causes of stillbirth?
- Pregnancy and labor complications. Problems with the pregnancy likely caused almost one in three stillbirths.
- Problems with the placenta.
- Birth defects.
- Infection.
- Problems with the umbilical cord.
- High blood pressure disorders.
- Medical complications in the mother.
What are the signs of a stillborn baby?
- Stopping of fetal movement and kicks.
- Spotting or bleeding.
- No fetal heartbeat heard with stethoscope or Doppler.
- No fetal movement or heartbeat seen on ultrasound, which makes the definitive diagnosis that a baby is stillborn. Other symptoms may or may not be linked to stillbirth.
What is the chance of having a stillborn baby?
Stillbirth affects about 1 in 160 births, and each year about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States. That is about the same number of babies that die during the first year of life and it is more than 10 times as many deaths as the number that occur from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
What increases the risk of stillbirth?
Increased risk being over 35 years of age. smoking, drinking alcohol or misusing drugs while pregnant. being obese having a body mass index above 30. having a pre-existing physical health condition, such as epilepsy.
When is the risk of stillbirth highest?
The risk of stillbirth at term increases with gestational age from 2.1 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies at 37 weeks of gestation up to 10.8 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies at 42 weeks of gestation.
What factors increase risk of stillbirth?
- Being African-American.
- Having diabetes.
- Being age 40 or older.
- Having AB blood type.
- Having a history of illegal drug use with addiction.
- Smoking cigarettes in the three months before getting pregnant.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Not living with a partner.