Pregnancy loss is devastating for the many expecting parents who face this painful reality. Compassionate OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist Sasha Davidson, MD, FACOG, helps women cope with stillbirths and go on to have successful pregnancies at Signature Perinatal Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. To find the support you need to recover from a stillbirth, call or book an appointment online today.
A stillbirth happens when a baby dies before or during delivery. Pregnancy loss includes both miscarriage and stillbirth; the difference between the two involves the timing of the loss.
Miscarriage is defined as a pregnancy loss that occurs before the 20th week of development, while a loss that occurs after week 20 is considered a stillbirth.
Stillbirth is further divided into timing categories:
If stillbirth occurs before delivery, your obstetrician may recommend a Cesarean section or induce labor to deliver the fetus.
About 1% of all pregnancies result in stillbirth, causing about 24,000 babies in the United States to be stillborn each year. Approximately the same number of babies die during the first year of life.
Though this may sound like a lot, the incidence of stillbirth used to be much higher. Advances in medical technology, including the technologies employed by Dr. Davidson at Signature Perinatal Center, have dramatically reduced the likelihood of late and term stillbirth. However, the risk of early stillbirth remains the same.
Many times, the cause of stillbirth remains undiscovered. Certain factors may increase the risk of stillbirth, including:
Dr. Davidson specializes in working with women who are at higher risk of a stillbirth or other pregnancy complications such as preterm labor. She carefully reviews your risk factors and recommends steps you can take to protect the health of you and your baby.
Losing a pregnancy is a heartbreaking experience, but one that many expecting parents recover from. The first step is to give yourself time to heal physically and emotionally from your tragic loss.
Then, Dr. Davidson works closely with you to improve your chances of successfully delivering your next child. With a nurturing, attentive ear and experience with the most up-to-date medical research, Dr. Davidson provides the support you need.
Don’t lose hope — call Signature Perinatal Center or schedule your consultation online today.