What is stillbirth?
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:
- Early stillbirth occurs between 20-27 weeks
- Late stillbirth occurs between 28-36 weeks
- Term stillbirth occurs after 37 completed weeks
If stillbirth occurs before delivery, your obstetrician may recommend a Cesarean section or induce labor to deliver the fetus.
How many babies are stillborn?
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.
Who is at risk of stillbirth?
Many times, the cause of stillbirth remains undiscovered. Certain factors may increase the risk of stillbirth, including:
- Problems with the placenta or umbilical cord
- Mother’s health conditions such as uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes
- Mother’s lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs
- Genetic abnormalities with the baby
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.
How can I recover from pregnancy loss?
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.
