The neonate being born dead.
The delivery of a fetus that died before or during delivery. The term is used to refer to either such a delivery or such a fetus. Some definitions are limited to fetuses of an age or weight that are potentially or usually viable (e.g., 1,000 grams). A fetal death is sometimes synonymous, sometimes limited to those which occur before delivery.
The birth of a dead fetus, more than 28 weeks after conception.
The birth of a fetus that died before or during delivery, one that was of a gestational age at which it would have been expected to live, often beyond the 28th week of pregnancy and weighing 2.2 pounds (1,000 g); also called late fetal death. (Death of a fetus at an earlier stage is called miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion.) In some cases, the cause of death is obvious, such as lack of oxygen because the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck or because the placenta malfunctioned; severe malformations or damage to the nervous system, such as anencephaly, spina bifida, or hydrocephalus; Rh incompatibility between mother and child; or extremely low birth weight or premature delivery. In other cases, disorders affecting the mother are responsible—diseases such as diabetes mellitus, rubella, measles, chicken pox, toxoplasmosis, herpes simplex, syphilis, cytomegalovirus, and influenza. But in perhaps a third of the cases of stillbirth, the cause of death is unknown, though doctors (after detecting lack of a heartbeat and delivering the child) are required to examine the child and report cause of death, if known, on a death certificate.
Birth of a fetus that shows no signs of life (e.g., respiration, heartbeat, or movement).
The birth of a dead baby after the 28th week of pregnancy. Stillbirths can have many causes, the most common being severe birth defects. Other causes include a lack of oxygen to the fetus as a result of placental abruption or a knot in the umbilical cord.
Birth of a fetus that shows no evidence of life (heart beat, respiration, or independent movement) at any time later than 28 weeks after conception. The number of such births expressed per 1000 births (live and still) is known as the stillbirth rate. Viability is deemed to start at the 28th week of pregnancy and a fetus born dead before this time is known as an abortion or miscarriage. A normal child born alive before the 28th week may survive if properly nurtured, though the small size will greatly increase the risk of neonatal death.
A stillborn child is defined as ‘any child which has issued forth from its mother after the 24th week of pregnancy and which did not at any time after being completely expelled from its mother, breathe or show any other sign of life’. In the UK the stillbirth rate is about 5.3 per 1,000 live births.
The expulsion of a nonviable fetus occurring after the 24th week of pregnancy.
The origin of stillbirth frequently remains unidentified. Certain stillborn infants exhibit serious abnormalities like anencephaly, spina bifida, or hydrocephalus. Other potential factors encompass maternal conditions that harm the placenta, the baby’s nutrient supplier, such as antepartum hemorrhage or hypertension; diabetes; kidney ailments; or significant Rhesus incompatibility, where the mother’s antibodies target the baby’s red blood cells.
Contracting infectious diseases like rubella, chickenpox, influenza, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex during pregnancy can pose a threat to the fetus, elevating the likelihood of stillbirth.
Following a stillbirth, parents commonly undergo a profound feeling of loss comparable to the death of any other cherished individual. Frequently, they grapple with emotions such as depression, guilt, anger, and a sense of inadequacy. Receiving emotional encouragement from friends, family members, and self-help communities proves beneficial; certain individuals find solace through the assistance of professional counseling.
The term used for the delivery of a deceased baby after the 28th week of pregnancy is “stillbirth.” Before the 28th week of pregnancy, it is typically referred to as a “miscarriage” or “abortion.”