Causes Of Stillbirth Every Pregnant Woman Should Know

Stillbirth is when a fetus dies after the mother’s 20th week of pregnancy, the fetus may have died in the uterus weeks or hours before labor, rarely, the fetus may die during labor.

However, irrespective of the fact that prenatal care has drastically improved over the years, yet,the reality is that stillbirths still happen and often go unexplained.

Photo Credit; The Irish Sun

This is why we have gathered some of it's risk factors and causes, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Risk Factors Of Still Birth

A stillbirth can happen to pregnant people of any age, background, or ethnicity, but situations and lifestyle that can increase one's chances.

Some of them includes; smoking, alcohol, use of recreational drugs, age (above 35years), poor prenatal care, multiple births (twins or more), preexisting health condition and obesity ( body mass index above 30).

Causes of Stillbirth

Problems with the placenta and/or the umbilical cord

Your placenta is an organ that lines your uterus when you’re pregnant, through it and the umbilical cord, the fetus gets blood, oxygen and nutrients.

Therefore, any problems with your placenta or umbilical cord and the fetus will not develop properly.

Preclampsia

Preeclampsia is high blood pressure and swelling that often happens late in pregnancy. If you have preeclampsia, you have twice the risk of placental abruption or stillbirth.

Lupus

A person who has lupus is at risk of having a stillbirth.

Clotting disorders

A person with a blood clotting disorder like hemophilia is at a high risk.

Medical conditions

Other illnesses can sometimes cause stillbirths, these includes; diabetes, heart disease, thyroid disease, or a viral or bacterial infection.

Lifestyle

If your lifestyle includes drinking, using recreational drugs and/or smoking, you’re more likely to have a stillbirth.

Birth Defects

One or more birth defects cause about 25% of stillbirths, birth defects are rarely discovered without a thorough examination of the fetus, including an autopsy.

Infection

An infection between week 24 and week 27 can cause fetal death.

Usually, it’s a bacterial infection that travels from your vagina to your uterus, some of these bacteria includes; Group B Streptococcus, E. coli, klebsiella, enterococcus, Haemophilus influenza, chlamydia and mycoplasma or ureaplasma.

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