WHAT IS STILL BIRTH?
If the baby dies anytime before 20th week, then the term miscarriage is used. But delivery/birth of a baby who dies anytime after the 20th week of pregnancy is called as STILLBIRTH. About 1 in 180 expecting women may experience a stillbirth. Stillbirth is classified in 3 different types as per the length of pregnancy:
– If the baby dies between 20th to 27th week then it is called as “Early stillbirth”
– If the baby dies between 28th to 36th week then it is called as “Late stillbirth”
– If the baby dies between 37th week or later then it is called as “Term stillbirth”
WHICH FACTORS PUT YOU AT MORE RISK OF STILLBIRTH?
Let’s check out some of the factors that may increase your chances of stillbirth:
- Smoking during pregnancy
- Drinking alcohol or consuming any drug during pregnancy
- Obesity
- Any history of stillbirth
- Getting pregnant at 35 years or older
- Malnutrition may increase the chance
- Too much stress or trauma
- Chances increase in multiple pregnancies
- Already have a chronic or other health issue before pregnancy
- Infection
- Not taking care of your health and checkups during pregnancy
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF STILLBIRTH?
In some cases, the cause of stillbirth is unknown which is called as an “unexplained stillbirth”, while in other cases the causes are diagnosed. Some of the most common causes of stillbirth are as follows:
INFECTION: Some sort of bacterial and viral infection can prove very harmful during pregnancy i.e. infections can cause complication or even stillbirth. Chances of infection is more common in 24th to 27th week. Sometimes infection causing bacteria passes from the vagina to the womb, while in other cases you may get an infection from a certain kind of food (like unpasteurized milk or raw meat). The most common infections that can harm your baby are rubella, hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, flu, herpes, malaria, cytomegalovirus, listeriosis, etc.
PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS: Pregnancy complications are one of the most common causes of stillbirth. Certain complications can bring your baby at huge risk before birth like multiple pregnancy, preterm labor, pregnancy continue for more than 42 weeks, preeclampsia, some sort of injury etc. If proper steps are not taken on time, then it may increase chances of stillbirth.
PLACENTAL ISSUE: If there is any problem in your placenta (which provides oxygen and nutrients to your baby) then this can affect your baby’s growth and put your baby at high risk. Placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterus wall before birth) is also very harmful for your baby. Any problem with the placenta have huge consequences which may cause infection, inflammation, less blood flow, and stillbirth.
UMBILICAL CORD ISSUE: Any issue with umbilical cord can affect the growth of your baby and can cause stillbirth. If the umbilical cord gets knot, twists, or turns around your baby’s neck before birth, this can put your baby at huge risk during normal delivery and can also provide less oxygen supply to your baby. This problem generally occurs at the end of your pregnancy.
BIRTH DEFECTS: Sometimes environmental factors or genetics can contribute to the birth defects like fetal growth restriction, Rh incompatibility, genetic conditions, etc. If your baby gets any of the serious birth defects or more than one birth defect at a time, it will make it impossible for your baby to survive and your pregnancy will end up in a stillbirth. But sometimes the cause of the birth defect is not well known.
MOM’s HEALTH: Maternal health also matters a lot for any risk and complication for your baby. If you already have any chronic health issue before pregnancy or have health issues during pregnancy, then it may also affect the health of your baby. Health conditions like diabetes, obesity, obstetric cholestasis, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, thyroid, Lupus, thrombophilia, etc. have a very bad impact on your baby, and can cause stillbirth.
IUGR: Sometimes maternal health issues like preeclampsia, hypertension, problem in placenta can cause IUGR (Intrauterine growth restriction) which puts your baby at risk. It may restrict the nutritional supply to your developing baby, it can cause stillbirth or if the baby survives it can cause chronic health issues later in life.
LIFESTYLE: If you have bad lifestyle habits like drinking, smoking, using any sort of drugs, sleeping on back position in the second and third trimester, not taking your prenatal supplements properly, etc. during your pregnancy then you are undoubtedly at high risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. Your lifestyle matters a lot to put your baby either in the safe zone or in the risk zone.
TESTS TO DISCOVER THE CAUSE OF STILLBIRTH
To confirm the stillbirth, your doctor will perform an ultrasound for confirmation. Once it confirms the death of your baby in your womb, then next your doctor can perform various tests to discover the main cause of the stillbirth. So that you’ll not get any problem in the future. For this various tests are to be performed like:
– Blood tests
– Tests to diagnose infection
– Test for thyroid
– Placenta, membrane and umbilical cord examination
– Test to diagnose genetic problem
– Autopsy, if you wish
Once the cause for your stillbirth is diagnosed, then your doctor will give you the required treatment. Generally, this will not affect your next pregnancy until you have some chronic issue that you need to be treated for, before getting pregnant the next time.
THINGS TO DO TO LOWER THE RISK OF STILLBIRTH
As the cause of stillbirth is not always known, so prevention is also sometimes difficult. But yes, there are some steps that may help you and your baby to stay healthy, which reduce the risk of stillbirth which are as follows:
- Maintain a good lifestyle and avoid consuming alcohol, smoking, and drugs during pregnancy
- Take a healthy diet and do exercise to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy
- Take folic acid either through your diet or through supplements before you get pregnant
- It’s always a good decision to have your complete checkup before getting pregnant, to avoid any complication after pregnancy.
- Carefully monitor your baby’s kicks and movements especially in the third trimester. At any moment when you feel less or no movement than normal, immediately consult your doctor.
- Always prefer to sleep on your side especially on left side. And avoid sleeping on back as it increases your chances of stillbirth
- Strictly avoid certain foods that are not safe during pregnancy
- Immediately consult your doctor, if you feel severe bleeding, cramps, or any complication, in your pregnancy
- It’s very important to first take care of your health and then plan a baby. The more you stay healthy, the less risk of any complication or stillbirth.