Why Are There Stillbirths?

A stillbirth is the death 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.

Can you prevent a stillbirth?

Not all the causes of stillbirth are currently known and it's not possible to prevent every stillbirth. But we do know that certain factors increase the risk, and there are simple things you can do to reduce these risks.

Why are babies stillborn 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.