What is stillbirth?
Q: What is stillbirth?
A: Stillbirth is when a fetus dies while still inside the mother or during delivery.
Q: How is a stillborn baby different from a miscarried baby?
A: A stillborn baby has been living inside its mother for 20 to 24 weeks, whereas a miscarried baby lived inside the mother for less time.
Q: What is the term used for a delivered stillborn baby?
A: The delivered stillborn baby is stillborn.
Q: What causes stillbirth?
A: There are several possible causes of stillbirth, including problems with the placenta, infections, birth defects, and poor fetal growth.
Q: Can stillbirth be prevented?
A: Some causes of stillbirth are preventable, such as avoiding smoking and drug use during pregnancy and managing medical conditions like diabetes. However, many stillbirths cannot be prevented.
Q: How common is stillbirth?
A: Stillbirth is a rare event, occurring in approximately 1 in every 160 pregnancies in high-income countries and in approximately 1 in every 40 pregnancies in low- and middle-income countries.
Q: What is the difference between stillbirth and infant mortality?
A: Stillbirth is the death of a fetus before or during delivery, whereas infant mortality refers to the death of a baby before their first birthday, including deaths in the neonatal period (first 28 days of life).
