Stillbirth Facts
- Stillbirth is the death of an infant before or during delivery at 20 or more completed gestational weeks. (ACOG, 2009)
- More than 26,000 babies are stillborn in the United States each year – 71 per day. Worldwide there are over 4 million stillbirths each year. (MacDorman, Kirmeyer, & Wilson, 2012)
- One in every 160 American pregnancies ends in stillbirth. (ACOG, 2009)
- The stillbirth rate for African American women is double the stillbirth rate for women of other races. (MacDorman, Kirmeyer, & Wilson, 2012)
- Almost 50 percent of stillbirths occur at or near full term and often seem to be otherwise healthy babies. (SCRN, 2011)
- The majority of stillbirths (85%) occur before delivery with 15% occurring during labor and delivery. (SMFM, 2010)
- Nearly 2/3 of all stillbirth deaths remain unexplained. (SCRN, 2011)
- 77% of families never worried their baby would die after the first trimester. (Pullen et al, 2012)
- Stillbirth deaths cut across all socio-economic classes, races, religions and maternal age groups. (ACOG, 2009)
- The stillbirth rate in the United States has not changed in the last 50 years(SCRN, 2011)
- More babies are stillborn every year than die from prematurity and SIDS combined(SMFM, 2010)
- The United States ranks 48th out of 49 developed nations in the world for annual rate of reduction of stillbirths. (Lawn, 2016)
- “Stillbirth is the most under-studied issue in medicine today”. (Lancet, 2011)
- “Perhaps the greats obstacle to addressing stillbirths is stigma.” (Horton, 2016)
What causes stillbirth?
- Most common causes include:
- placental abruption, placental insufficiency, or other placental problems
- birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities
- uncontrolled diabetes
- pre-eclampsia/eclampsia
- umbilical cord accidents
- infections
- unknown
Which pregnancies are at risk for stillbirth?
While no pregnancy is immune, the following characteristics have been associated with an increased risk of stillbirth and other poor pregnancy outcomes.
- advanced maternal age
- no previous pregnancies (primiparity)
- pregnancy past due date
- maternal obesity
- maternal use of alcohol, tobacco, or other recreational substances
- prior stillbirth, neonatal death or other poor pregnancy outcomes
- maternal diabetes or gestational diabetes
- maternal diseases such as cholestastis, auto-immune disorders, renal conditions
- maternal hypertension or hypotension (high or low blood pressure)
- baby with intrauterine growth restriction
- pregnancies conceived using assisted reproduction techniques
- Multiple gestation pregnancies (twins, triplets, or more)
- Reduced fetal movements
- Umbilical cord abnormalities (knots, hypercoiling, 2-vessels, etc)
- African American or American Indian ethnicity
- Lower socioeconomic status
- Too much or too little amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios)
- Poor access to care
- Little to no prenatal care
- Trauma
- Maternal stress