Reducing the risk of stillbirth

Stillbirth is rare but has a huge impact on families. It’s important to know the risk factors and warning signs. While the risk of stillbirth is very low for average healthy mothers, statistics don’t matter if it’s your experience — or you fear it could be.

How common are stillbirths? A stillbirth occurs in about one of 160 births (about 24,000 babies per year in the United States).

Every day more than 7,300 babies are stillborn. A death occurs just when parents expect to welcome a new life. Ninety-eight percent of stillbirths occur in low and middle-income countries.

Stillbirth can occur without symptoms, but the main one is not feeling fetal movement. 2 Doctors often instruct women who are past 28 weeks pregnant to track fetal kick counts at least once a day. A low, absent, or especially high kick count can be a cause for concern.

1. Go to all your antenatal appointments. It’s important not to miss any of your antenatal appointments.
2. Eat healthily and keep active.
3. Stop smoking.
4. Avoid alcohol in pregnancy.
5. Go to sleep on your side.
6. Tell your midwife about any drug use.
7. Have the flu jab.
8. Avoid people who are ill.

Most babies born unexpectedly without a heartbeat can be successfully resuscitated in the delivery room. Of those successfully resuscitated, 48% survive with normal outcome or mild-moderate disability.

A stillborn child is one who dies in utero at 20 weeks or more, many times at full term. Babies are stillborn for many reasons, including maternal infection, placenta complications, umbilical cord problems, and anencephaly.

A variety of factors can cause babies to be stillborn, but some causes of stillbirth include: Birth defects, particularly chromosomal abnormalities in the baby – Birth defects, for example, anencephaly are the cause of 14 percent of stillbirths.

stillborn birth baby died 24 hours before delivery skin looks brown yellow looking. baby looks puffy hydrops looking feature puffiness red. for a baby that passed away in the womb 2 weeks before birth a lot of the water in baby’s whole body will disappear, making baby look more dried out mummified appearance.

The causes of a stillbirth that are understood include: Birth defects, with or without a chromosomal abnormality. Problems with the umbilical cord; with a prolapsed umbilical cord, the cord comes out of the vagina before the baby, blocking the oxygen supply before the baby can breathe on its own.