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Home / What's a Five Month Stillborn Baby Look Like

What's a Five Month Stillborn Baby Look Like

KEY POINTS

  • Some meaning people are more probable than others to have a stillbirth. Reducing some of the risk factors for stillbirth may help yous accept a healthy infant.

  • We don't know what causes all stillbirths. Common causes include infections, nativity defects and pregnancy complications, similar preeclampsia.

  • Y'all can have tests to try to find out what caused your baby's decease and endeavour to prevent some other stillbirth in your next pregnancy.

  • Nigh people who have a stillbirth and get pregnant again have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy babe.

What is stillbirth?

Stillbirth is when a infant dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Most stillbirths happen earlier a pregnant person goes into labor, only a small number happen during labor and birth. Stillbirth affects about 1 in 160 pregnancies each year in the United States.

Who is at adventure for stillbirth?

Stillbirth can happen in any family. Nosotros don't always know why stillbirth affects certain families more than others. Researchers are working to learn more most take a chance factors for stillbirth.

Gamble factors are things that make you at risk for (more than likely than others to have) a status. Having a hazard factor for stillbirth doesn't hateful for sure that yous volition have a stillbirth. But knowing most and reducing your hazard factors may help forestall a stillbirth from happening to your baby. Some risk factors are things you tin can't modify, such as having a stillbirth in a previous pregnancy. Other chance factors are things you lot tin can do something about, like quitting smoking. Talk to your health care provider about what you can do to help reduce your risk factors for stillbirth.

According to the Centers for Illness Control and Prevention (also called CDC) and other experts, risk factors for stillbirth include:

Medical atmospheric condition

  • Being obese. If you're obese, you lot have an excess corporeality of body fat and your body mass index (also chosen BMI) is 30 or higher. BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. To find out your BMI, become to www.cdc.gov/bmi.
  • Diabetes. Diabetes is a status in which your torso has likewise much saccharide (chosen glucose) in the blood.
  • High blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood that pushes confronting the walls of your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that bear blood away from your middle to other parts of the body.
  • Substance abuse. Using certain harmful substances increase the take a chance of having a stillbirth. For example, smoking, drinking alcohol or using street drugs or prescription painkillers, such as opioids.

Pregnancy weather condition and pregnancy history

  • You're significant with multiples (twins, triplets or more than).
  • You have intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (also chosen ICP). This is the virtually common liver condition that happens during pregnancy.
  • You had complications in a previous pregnancy, like premature birth, preeclampsia or fetal growth brake. Preterm birth is a birth that happens too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a condition that can happen after the 20th calendar week of pregnancy or right after pregnancy. It'south when a pregnant person has high blood pressure level and signs that some of her organs, like her kidneys and liver, may non be working properly. Fetal growth restriction is when a baby doesn't gain enough weight in the womb before birth.
  • You've never given nascence before.
  • You had a miscarriage or stillbirth in a previous pregnancy. Miscarriage is when a baby dies in the womb earlier twenty weeks of pregnancy.
  • Yous're pregnant after the age of 35. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), studies show that a large number of stillbirths that happen among pregnant people 35 or older are related to congenital or chromosomal conditions.
  • You lot have piddling social support. Many unmarried people have strong social networks of families and friends who help them. Withal, some studies take reported a college hazard of stillbirth among unmarried people. Researchers think that this may be because they accept less social back up.

Health Disparities and Racism

We do not know exactly why, just stillbirth happens more oft in some groups compared with others. Nosotros call this a health disparity (divergence). To understand why these groups are at a higher risk of having a stillbirth nosotros demand to wait at the social factors affecting them, this is what nosotros call social determinants of health. These are the conditions in which you are born, abound, work, alive and age. These conditions affect your wellness throughout your life. In many cases, social determinants of health and health disparities are related to racism.

Racism refers to the false belief that certain groups of people are born with qualities that make them better than other groups of people.

Racism isn't limited to personal attacks such as ethnic slurs, bullying, or concrete set on. In a racist civilisation, i grouping of people has more ability than other groups. People in the ascendant racial or ethnic grouping brand important decisions that affects everyone'due south lives. For instance, they have a lot of control over the fashion that schools, health care, housing, laws and law enforcement work. This control ways that people in the dominant group are more likely to:

  • Have better education and job opportunities
  • Live in safer environmental weather condition
  • Be shown in a positive lite past media, such as goggle box shows, movies, and news programs.
  • Be treated with respect by law enforcement
  • Amend access to wellness care

In dissimilarity, people from racial or indigenous minority groups who live in a racist society are more likely to:

  • Feel chronic stress
  • Live in an unsafe neighborhood
  • Live in areas that have higher amounts of environmental toxins, such as air, water, and soil pollution
  • Become to a low-performing school
  • Take limited access to good for you foods
  • Have little or no access to health insurance and quality medical care
  • Have less access to well-paying jobs

The Role of Chronic Stress

Studies have shown that the chronic stress caused past living in a racist culture is a cistron in many health conditions, including having a preterm or low-birthweight baby. While some studies and statistics mention race as a adventure factor for these weather condition, we can't say that race itself the cause. More research is needed to understand the connections between racism, stress, and health issues.

Rates of Stillbirth

Co-ordinate to data from the CDC (2017), there are there are major differences in stillbirth rates amongst different groups. For Blackness people, the stillbirth charge per unit is more than double the rate than other groups, except when compared with American Indian/Alaskan Native people. These are rates per 1,000 live births and stillbirths. Run across the information below:

  • Non-Hispanic Blackness, 10.32
  • American Indian/Alaska Native people, vii.22
  • Hispanic, 5.01
  • Non-Hispanic white, 4.89
  • Asian or Pacific Islander, 4.29

Beingness a person of color is not a cause for having a stillbirth. However, communities of color are disproportionately affected past racism. Racism and diff living weather touch on their wellness and well-being and puts them at higher risk of pregnancy complications, such as stillbirth.

March of Dimes recognizes that racism and its effects are factors in the wellness disparities in pregnancy outcomes and babies' health. We must piece of work together to bring fair, just and full admission to health care for all moms and babies.

How exercise you know if your baby is stillborn?

Signs of a condition are things someone else can see or know most you, like you have a rash or you're coughing. 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 kick. Others include cramps, pain or haemorrhage from the vagina. Call your health care provider right abroad or go to the emergency room if you lot take any of these conditions.

Your provider uses ultrasound to run across if your babe's heart has stopped beating. An ultrasound uses sound waves and a reckoner screen to show a flick of your baby in the womb.

What are your options for giving nascency if your baby is stillborn?

If your baby is stillborn, your provider talks with yous about options for giving nascency. When and how you give nascence depends on how far along yous are in your pregnancy, your medical condition and what you think is all-time for you and your family. Some women demand to give birth correct away for medical reasons, but it'south often condom to wait until yous go into labor on your own. Labor usually starts within 2 weeks after a baby dies in the womb.

Your provider may recommend:

  • Dilation and evacuation (besides chosen D&Eastward). During this surgical procedure, your provider dilates (opens) the cervix to remove tissue from the lining of the uterus. The cervix is the opening to the uterus (womb) that sits at the top of the vagina. Having a D&E may limit the information your provider tin get almost your infant'southward status. For example, if you have a D&E, your babe's provider tin't do an autopsy on your baby.
  • Inducing labor. This is when your provider gives you medicine or breaks your water (amniotic sac) to brand your labor start. About pregnant people with a stillbirth have their providers induce labor before long after they acquire of their baby's death. If you decide to wait to go into labor on your own and it doesn't happen by 2 weeks after your babe'due south decease, your provider may induce labor to help foreclose dangerous blood clots from developing.
  • Cesarean birth (also called c-department). This is surgery in which your doctor makes a cut in your belly and uterus to deliver your babe.

What tests do y'all get later on a stillbirth?

Your provider checks your baby, the placenta and the umbilical string to try to observe out why your baby died. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. Your provider may ask to do certain tests to try observe out what acquired the stillbirth. Tests may include:

  • Amniocentesis (also called amnio). In this exam, your provider takes some amniotic fluid from around your babe in the uterus. If your provider thinks a genetic condition or an infection in your babe may have caused the stillbirth, she may recommend an amnio before you lot give birth. Genetic conditions are health weather condition that are passed from parents to children through genes.
  • Dissection. This is a physical examination of your baby's body subsequently death. During an dissection, a provider checks your baby's organs for signs of birth defects or other conditions. This may help your provider find out what acquired your baby'south death and if you may be at chance of having another stillbirth in the future. It's common for a provider not to notice a cause for stillbirth. Nativity defects are health conditions that are present at birth. They change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. Birth defects can cause bug in overall health, how the body develops or how the body works.
  • Genetic tests. Genetic tests to check for genetic conditions in your baby
  • Tests for infections on your baby or on the placenta

In addition to checking your babe for medical and genetic conditions, your provider reviews your family wellness history and any issues or illnesses you lot had during pregnancy. Your family wellness history is a record of any health conditions you, your partner and members of both your families take had. Your provider may want to examination you for infections, genetic atmospheric condition and other medical atmospheric condition, like lupus or thyroid problems.

Data from tests on yous and your baby may help you lot if yous're thinking about getting meaning again. Test results may help your provider find out if there's a chance that you lot could have another stillbirth. Even if your provider doesn't discover out what caused your stillbirth, having the tests may assistance you better sympathise and cope with your baby'due south death. If you have questions nigh the tests, including their cost, talk to your health intendance provider.

If you've had a stillbirth, tin you take a healthy baby in another pregnancy?

Aye. For well-nigh women, the chances of having another stillbirth are very low. Less than 1 in 100 women (less than 1 percent) who've had a stillbirth go on to have another stillbirth.

If you had a stillbirth and are thinking well-nigh having another baby, requite yourself time to heal physically and emotionally. Your provider may recommend that you lot have medical tests to endeavour to find out more than nigh what acquired your stillbirth. Y'all may need to expect until afterward yous've had these tests to try to get pregnant once more.

If you had a stillbirth that was caused by a genetic status, a genetic counselor tin can aid yous understand the condition and the chances of you having another stillbirth. A genetic counselor is a person who is trained to help you sympathise about how genes, birth defects and other medical conditions run in families, and how they tin can affect your health and your babe's health. Your wellness intendance provider tin help you discover a genetic advisor.

Here's what you tin can exercise help to lower your adventure of having a stillbirth in another pregnancy:

  • Get a preconception checkup. This is a medical checkup you get before pregnancy. It helps make sure you're healthy when you go significant.
  • Become treatment for any medical weather condition you have.
  • Get to a healthy weight before getting pregnant. Your provider tin can recommend ways to get to a weight that's right for you.
  • Don't fume, drink alcohol, utilise marijuana or other drugs that can exist harmful to your pregnancy. Tell your provider if you demand assist to quit.
  • If you have whatsoever pain or bleeding from the vagina during pregnancy, call your provider right abroad.

If y'all get pregnant again, your provider monitors you and your infant closely. At around 32 weeks of pregnancy, she may ask you to do kick counts to help you keep track of how ofttimes your infant moves. Your provider as well may do medical tests to bank check your baby's heart rate and movements.

What causes stillbirth?

We don't know what causes many stillbirths, but common causes include:

Infections in the mother or baby. Some infections may not crusade signs or symptoms and may not exist diagnosed until they cause serious complications, similar premature birth or stillbirth. Infections that can crusade stillbirth include:

  • Cytomegalovirus (also called CMV). This is a kind of herpes virus that you can get by coming in contact with body fluid (similar saliva, semen, fungus, urine or blood) from a person who carries the virus. It's a common infection in young children, but if you get it during pregnancy, it can cause serious bug, like stillbirth.
  • 5th affliction. This is a common childhood illness that'south caused by a virus called parvovirus B19. It usually spreads through the air from an infected person'southward cough or sneeze.
  • Genital and urinary tract infections. These infections touch the urinary tract and genitals (also chosen sex organs), like the vagina or ovaries. The urinary tract is the system of organs (like the kidneys and bladder) that helps your trunk get rid of waste and extra fluids. Getting infected with genital herpes for the first time during pregnancy can pb to stillbirth. Genital canker is a sexually transmitted infection (as well called STI) you tin can go from having sex with someone who's infected.
  • Listeriosis. This is a type of food poisoning.
  • Syphilis. This is an STI.
  • Toxoplasmosis. This is an infection you tin can get from eating undercooked meat or touching cat poop.

Problems with the placenta or umbilical cord. Placental problems include infections, blood clots, inflammation (redness, hurting and swelling), issues with blood vessels and other conditions, like placental abruption. Placental abruption is a serious condition in which the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus before birth. Placental issues cause about 24 in 100 stillbirths (24 percent). Issues with the umbilical cord include having a knot in the cord or the cord existence pinched so that your infant doesn't become enough oxygen. Problems with the umbilical cord may atomic number 82 to about x in 100 stillbirths (10 pct).

Complications during pregnancy, including:

  • Beingness pregnant longer than 42 weeks
  • Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and preeclampsia
  • Wellness conditions like lupus, thrombophilias and thyroid disorders. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders are wellness weather condition that happen when antibodies (cells in the torso that fight off infections) attack healthy tissue only nigh anywhere in the body by mistake. Thyroid disorders affect your thyroid, a gland in your neck that makes hormones that assistance your body store and use energy from nutrient. Thrombophilias increase your chances of making abnormal blood clots.
  • Preterm labor and preterm premature rupture of the membranes (also called PPROM). Preterm labor is labor that begins early on, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. PPROM is when the sac around the baby breaks early, causing labor to kickoff.
  • Fetomaternal hemorrhage. This is when your infant's claret mixes with your claret during pregnancy or birth.
  • Trauma or injuries (like from a machine blow)

Conditions in the babe, including:

  • Nascency defects and genetic weather condition. About 14 in 100 stillborn babies (14 percentage) have ane or more than birth defects, including genetic conditions like Down syndrome.
  • Fetal growth restriction
  • Not getting enough oxygen during labor and nativity
  • Rh disease. Rh factor is a poly peptide on the surface of ruby-red blood cells. Rh disease happens when a woman who doesn't have the protein (called Rh-negative) is pregnant with a infant who does accept the protein (called Rh-positive). Rh affliction can be prevented.

How can y'all deal with feelings of grief after a stillbirth?

Grief is all the feelings yous accept when someone close to you dies. Having a stillborn baby is a painful loss for a family. But there are things y'all tin do to help you lot grieve, heal and call back your baby.

Later nativity, practise what feels right for you and your family. You lot may desire to spend time solitary with your infant and other family members. You tin can name your baby, concord your infant, bathe and clothe her and take part in cultural or religious traditions, like baptism. Some families take pictures of their babe, make footprints or save locks of hair. Yous may be able to keep things from the hospital, similar blankets, that were used with your babe. Keepsakes like these can help you and your family recollect your baby.

Parents who have a stillbirth need time to grieve. Yous and your partner may cope with grief in different ways, and you may need aid dealing with others as you grieve.

Subsequently y'all go out the hospital, sure things, similar hearing names you were thinking of for your baby, seeing the infant's plant nursery at home or having your breast milk come in tin be painful reminders of your loss. You may need help learning how to deal with these situations and the feelings they create. Ask your health care provider to aid you discover a grief counselor to help you cope with your infant's death. Or your hospital may take a loss and grief program for families. Getting counseling tin can exist actually helpful to yous and your family.

Talking about your feelings with other parents who have had a stillbirth may aid you lot deal with your grief. Visit shareyourstory.org, the March of Dimes online customs where families who have lost a baby tin talk to and support each other. Sharing your story may ease your pain and assist yous heal.

Having a stillbirth may make you at adventure for postpartum low (likewise called PPD). PPD is a kind of depression that some women become after having a baby. Tell your provider if y'all accept signs or symptoms of PPD, like feeling depressed virtually of the mean solar day every day, having little interest in things you normally like to do, or having trouble eating or sleeping.

More information

  • From injure to healing  (free booklet from the March of Dimes for grieving parents)
  • Share Your Story (March of Dimes online community for families to share experiences with prematurity, nascency defects or loss)
  • Centering Corporation (grief information and resources)
  • Compassionate Friends (support for families afterward the death of a child)
  • First Candle (support for families with children who died of SIDS or preventable stillbirth)
  • International Stillbirth Alliance
  • Journey Program of Seattle Children's Infirmary (support for families after the expiry of a child)
  • At present I Lay Me Down to Slumber (remembrance photography)
  • Perinatal Hospice & Palliative Intendance (resources for parents who find out during pregnancy that their babe has a life-limiting condition
  • Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support (resource for families with pregnancy or baby loss)
  • Star Legacy Foundation (support for families who have had a stillbirth)

Concluding reviewed: October, 2020

What's a Five Month Stillborn Baby Look Like

Source: https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/stillbirth.aspx