Why stillborn baby

When and how you give birth depends on how far along you are in your pregnancy, your medical condition and what you think is best for you and your family. Labor usually starts within 2 weeks after a baby dies in the womb. Your provider checks your baby, the placenta and the umbilical cord to try to find out why your baby died. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord.

Your provider may ask to do certain tests to try find out what caused the stillbirth. Tests may include:. In addition to checking your baby for medical and genetic conditions, your provider reviews your family health history and any problems or illnesses you had during pregnancy. Your family health history is a record of any health conditions you, your partner and members of both your families have had. Your provider may want to test you for infections, genetic conditions and other medical conditions, like lupus or thyroid problems.

If you have questions about the tests, including their cost, talk to your health care provider. For most women, the chances of having another stillbirth are very low. If you had a stillbirth and are thinking about having another baby, give yourself time to heal physically and emotionally. Your provider may recommend that you have medical tests to try to find out more about what caused your stillbirth. If you had a stillbirth that was caused by a genetic condition, a genetic counselor can help you understand the condition and the chances of you having another stillbirth.

Your health care provider can help you find a genetic counselor. If you get pregnant again, your provider monitors you and your baby closely. At around 32 weeks of pregnancy, she may ask you to do kick counts to help you keep track of how often your baby moves. Infections in the mother or baby. Some infections may not cause signs or symptoms and may not be diagnosed until they cause serious complications, like premature birth or stillbirth.

Infections that can cause stillbirth include:. Problems with the placenta or umbilical cord. Placental problems include infections, blood clots, inflammation redness, pain and swelling , problems with blood vessels and other conditions, like placental abruption. Placental abruption is a serious condition in which the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus before birth.

Placental problems cause about 24 in stillbirths 24 percent. Problems with the umbilical cord may lead to about 10 in stillbirths 10 percent. Grief is all the feelings you have when someone close to you dies. Having a stillborn baby is a painful loss for a family.

But there are things you can do to help you grieve, heal and remember your baby. After birth, do what feels right for you and your family. You may want to spend time alone with your baby and other family members. You can name your baby, hold your baby, bathe and clothe her and take part in cultural or religious traditions, like baptism.

Some families take pictures of their baby, make footprints or save locks of hair. You may be able to keep things from the hospital, like blankets, that were used with your baby. Keepsakes like these can help you and your family remember your baby. Parents who have a stillbirth need time to grieve.

You and your partner may cope with grief in different ways, and you may need help dealing with others as you grieve. You may need help learning how to deal with these situations and the feelings they create.

Or your hospital may have a loss and grief program for families. Getting counseling can be really helpful to you and your family. Talking about your feelings with other parents who have had a stillbirth may help you deal with your grief.

Visit shareyourstory. Sharing your story may ease your pain and help you heal. Having a stillbirth may make you at risk for postpartum depression also called PPD. PPD is a kind of depression that some women get after having a baby. Tell your provider if you have signs or symptoms of PPD, like feeling depressed most of the day every day, having little interest in things you normally like to do, or having trouble eating or sleeping.

Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby. This cause of stillbirth tends to occur more toward the end of pregnancy. High blood pressure disorders. High blood pressure in the mother—whether due to chronic high blood pressure or to preeclampsia —also contributed to stillbirths. These types of stillbirths were more common in the end of the second trimester and the beginning of the third, compared with other parts of pregnancy.

Medical complications in the mother. This research also showed that: Women who experienced financial, emotional, or other personal stress in the year before their delivery had an increased chance of having a stillbirth. Smoking tobacco or marijuana, taking prescription painkillers, or using illegal drugs during pregnancy is associated with double or even triple the risk of stillbirth.

Racial Disparities in Stillbirth In the United States, stillbirths are more than twice as likely among black women than among white women. Causes of death among stillbirths. Journal of the American Medical Association, 22 , — Stillbirth affects about 1 in births, and each year about 24, babies are stillborn in the United States.

Because of advances in medical technology over the last 30 years, prenatal care medical care during pregnancy has improved, which has dramatically reduced the number of late and term stillbirth. Having an autopsy on the baby and other laboratory tests is important in trying to understand why the baby died before birth. Your health care provider can share more information about this. Stillbirth occurs in families of all races, ethnicities, and income levels, and to women of all ages.

However, stillbirth occurs more commonly among certain groups of people including women who:. This does not mean that every individual of black race or older age is at higher risk for having a stillbirth. List of Partners vendors. Giving birth to a stillborn baby is a fear that many people have when they are pregnant. If it happens to you, it's natural to want to understand what caused the stillbirth.

Unfortunately, doctors do not always have an answer to this question. A stillbirth is a fetal loss that happens after 20 weeks of pregnancy. A fetal loss before 20 weeks is typically referred to as a miscarriage. Stillbirths can be further categorized as early 20 to 27 completed weeks , late 28 to 36 completed weeks , or term 37 weeks or more.

The cause of stillbirths can vary based on gestational age and underlying risk factors, though in some cases the cause is not known. A study found that in approximately one-quarter of stillbirths, there is no known probable or possible cause. Here is an overview of the common causes of pregnancy loss after 20 weeks.

Chromosomal abnormalities are known to cause the majority of miscarriages , but certain chromosomal problems and birth defects can also increase the risk of stillbirth. Chromosomal abnormalities , especially those associated with anatomic abnormalities or birth defects, account for a high percentage of stillbirths. Intrauterine growth restriction IUGR is a condition where a fetus is significantly smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy.

In severe cases, the condition can cause stillbirth or increased risk of newborn loss perhaps because the baby is not getting adequate oxygen or nutrition. A pregnant person's health conditions and lifestyle can also increase the risk of intrauterine growth restriction.

Healthcare providers screen for these problems during prenatal care. Some specific risk factors are preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, and smoking in pregnancy. As part of standard prenatal care , healthcare providers closely monitor fetal growth, which gives them the chance to intervene if a fetus appears at risk.