Like the two earlier papers, this report provides surprisingly encouraging data. Most babies born unexpectedly without a heartbeat can be successfully resuscitated in the delivery room. Of those successfully resuscitated, 48% survive with normal outcome or mild-moderate disability.
If a woman's baby dies before labour starts, she will usually be offered medicine to help induce labour. This is safer for the mother than having a caesarean section. If there's no medical reason for the baby to be born straightaway, it may be possible to wait for labour to begin naturally.
How long can you keep a stillborn baby? Generally, it is medically safe for the mother to continue carrying her baby until labor begins which is normally about 2 weeks after the baby has died. This lapse in time can have an effect on the baby's appearance at delivery and it is best to be prepared for this.
We conclude that 39% of apparently stillborn infants who were resuscitated survived beyond the neonatal period and that 61% of the 23 survivors who were available for developmental follow-up had normal development at the time of last examination.
In more than 1 of every 10 stillbirths, the fetus had a genetic or structural birth defect that probably or possibly caused the death. Infection. In more than 1 of every 10 stillbirths, the death was likely caused either by an infection in the fetus or in the placenta, or by a serious infection in the mother.
Stillbirth in Australia
In Australia, 6 babies are stillborn each day, affecting more than 2,000 Australian families each year.
Symptoms are things you feel yourself that others can't see, like having a sore throat or feeling dizzy. The most common symptom of stillbirth is when you stop feeling your baby moving and kicking. Others include cramps, pain or bleeding from the vagina.
In the case of fetal demise, a dead fetus that has been in the uterus for 4 weeks can cause changes in the body's clotting system. These changes can put a woman at a much higher chance of significant bleeding if she waits for a long time after the fetal demise to deliver the pregnancy.
The majority of previous studies suggest that holding the baby after stillbirth is a positive event and should be encouraged, and we confirm that holding a baby with abnormalities is not associated with adverse mental health sequelae up to 36 months after delivery.
Many people experience cramping, bleeding, and passage of blood clots for a couple weeks to a couple of months after stillbirth. Cramping can usually be managed with medications like ibuprofen and a heating pad.
Stillbirth can be diagnosed by ultrasound examination to show that the baby's heart is no longer beating. After delivery, the baby is found to be stillborn if there are no signs of life such as breathing, heartbeat, and movements.
At or after 40 weeks, the risk of stillbirth increases, especially for women 35 or older. Their risk, research shows, is doubled from 39 weeks to 40 and is more than six times as high at 42 weeks.
Some states may allow burial of a baby on private property, but others do not - be sure to check with local burial officials if you want to bury a baby in your yard. If you belong to a church, you can ask your pastor or priest to conduct a burial ceremony for the baby.
What causes a stillbirth? There can be a number of reasons why a baby is stillborn however sometimes a cause cannot be found. In Australia, the major causes of stillbirth are infection, the health of the mother, bleeding, a premature labour that cannot be stopped or an abnormality with the developing baby.
When a baby dies while still in the uterus, this may also be called fetal loss. A doctor may deliver the baby by giving you medicine to start labor. Or you may have a procedure called D&E (dilation and evacuation).
Doctors usually recommend a natural or induced labour to deliver your baby. This is because a caesarean (or c-section) is major sugery, which carries more risks and can affect future pregnancies. It usually requires a longer recovery period in hospital, and at home, too.
When a baby dies while still in the womb, this may also be called fetal loss. A doctor may deliver the baby by giving you medicine to start labour. Or you may have a surgical procedure called D&E (dilation and evacuation). The loss of a baby is devastating and very hard to accept.
During this time, you should use sanitary pads, not tampons, to minimize the risk of infection. You should also avoid taking baths for the same reason. After a vaginal delivery with a full- or near-term stillbirth, you may have swelling and soreness of your vulva and perineum.
Increased risk
being over 35 years of age. smoking, drinking alcohol or misusing drugs while pregnant. being obese – having a body mass index above 30. having a pre-existing physical health condition, such as epilepsy.
The midwife should approach any conversation with the parents of a stillborn baby in a sensitive, dignified way. This involves maintaining privacy, and talking to parents in an empathetic manner. Actively listening to the parents will help the midwife to foster communication and a trusting relationship with them.
Stillbirth gives rise to societal, psychological and physical challenges. Both parents can be significantly affected by the stillbirth of their baby, often experiencing grief, anxiety, fear and suffering, even if they may not express these emotions outwardly or immediately.
Problems with the placenta that prevent the fetus from getting nourishment (such as placental detachment) Sudden severe blood loss (hemorrhage) in the mother or fetus. Heart stoppage (cardiac arrest) in the mother or fetus. Umbilical cord problems.
Research has shown that in the third trimester (after 28 weeks of pregnancy) going to sleep on your back increases your risk of stillbirth. As the link has now been shown in four separate research trials, our advice is to go to sleep on your side in the third trimester because it is safer for your baby.
The risk of stillbirth at term increases with gestational age from 2.1 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies at 37 weeks of gestation up to 10.8 per 10,000 ongoing pregnancies at 42 weeks of gestation.