This video shows a case of Stillbirth with a Pregnancy of about 21 weeks and five days.
A stillbirth is the demise 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.
An early stillbirth is a fetal demise occurring between 20 and 27 completed weeks of pregnancy.
A late stillbirth occurs between 28 and 36 completed pregnancy weeks.
A term birth occurs between 37 or more completed pregnancy weeks.
Intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) is fetal demise that occurs after 20 weeks gestation but before birth. If the gestational age is unknown at the time of demise, a fetus that weighs equal to and more than 350 g is considered an IUFD.
There is a high chance of having significant bleeding when a pregnancy in the second trimester delivers on its own at home. In the case of fetal demise, a deceased fetus that has been in the uterus for 4 weeks can cause changes in the body's clotting system.
The highest risk of stillbirth was seen at 42 weeks with 10.8 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies.
But we do know that certain factors increase the risk, and there are simple things you can do to reduce these risks.
Go to all your antenatal appointments. ...
Eat healthily and keep active.
Stop smoking.
Avoid alcohol during pregnancy.
Go to sleep on your side.
Tell your midwife about any drug use.
Have the flu jab.
Causes of stillbirth
Pregnancy and labor complications. Certain circumstances can make things riskier for the baby before birth.
Placenta problems.
Birth defects and other conditions in the baby.
Infection.
Umbilical cord problems.
Maternal health.
Unexplained stillbirth.
About 2-3% of pregnancies will be lost in the second trimester, a rate that is much lower than in the first trimester. Once a pregnancy gets to about 20 weeks gestation, less than 0.5% will end in fetal demise. A loss at this time in pregnancy is most often a hard and sad experience.
Common causes include infections, birth defects, and pregnancy complications, like preeclampsia. You can have tests to try to find out what caused your baby's death and try to prevent another stillbirth in your next pregnancy.
Number one cause of stillbirth
Placental problems were the leading cause of stillbirths that took place before birth, and these deaths tended to occur after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Birth defects. In more than 1 of every 10 stillbirths, the fetus had a genetic or structural birth defect that probably or possibly caused the demise.
Causes of stillbirth at full term
Many stillbirths occur at full term to apparently healthy mothers, and a postmortem evaluation reveals a cause of death in about 40% of autopsied cases. About 10% of cases are believed to be due to obesity, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Other risk factors include bacterial infection, like syphilis.
Some babies die in the uterus (womb) before they are born (called intra-uterine fetal death). It can happen during the last half of pregnancy or, more rarely, during labor and birth, when it is known as intrapartum death. When a baby who has died during labor and birth is born, this is called a stillbirth.
Symptoms of stillbirth
Hospitals are obligated to remove the dead fetus from a woman as quickly as possible; at most within 3 days from when the loss was discovered
Symptoms of a second-trimester loss
Bleeding: Most commonly, bleeding is a sign of a problem with the placenta and does not indicate a fetal demise.
Cramping: Pregnancy losses in the second trimester can be due to early labor.
Loss of fetal movement: This can indicate a fetal demise.
Traditionally, early fetal death has been treated by surgical uterine evacuation for up to 14 weeks, and labor induction after that, using a variety of agents including oxytocin and prostaglandins.
If there's no medical reason for the baby to be born straight away, it may be possible to wait for labor to begin naturally. This decision doesn't usually need to be made immediately, and it may be possible to go home for a day or two first.
Second-trimester intrauterine fetal death is typically recognized as a demise after 20 weeks of gestation and a fetal weight of more than 500 grams. It affects about 1 in 100 pregnancies each year in the United States, and the rate has declined by more than 25% in the last 15 years.
Once you've registered your baby, the registrar will give you a certificate for burial or cremation. By law, a baby must be buried or cremated if he or she is stillborn at or after 24 weeks. Most, but not all hospitals offer to arrange a funeral.