Pregnancy And Stillbirth: One Increases Risk For Future Pregnancies

First Posted: Jun 27, 2015 05:31 PM EDT
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Stillbirth is the result of a fetal death that occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Numerous health complications can contribute to its risk, with at least 20 percent due to chromosomal disorders, such as Down syndrome. However, other issues that may contribute to the problem include issues with the placenta, poor fetal growth, infections, chronic health conditions in the mother and more rarely, umbilical cord accidents. These estimates include about ever one in 160 pregnancies.

New findings published in the most recent issue of BMJ reveal that women who had one stillbirth could be up to four times more likely to experience the same problem with another pregnancy. 

For the study, researchers reviewed 16 studies that involved 3.5 million pregnant women from eight different countries. An analysis showed that 0.7 percent of the women had stillbirths, and from that sample, another 2.5 percent experienced another stillbirth with their second pregnancy. Lastly, having a live birth during the first pregnancy did not seem to reduce the risk of a stillbirth for subsequent pregnancies, with 0.4 percent having stillbirths after a live birth.

However, researchers concluded that future studies will be necessary to fully explain the cause of subsequent stillbirths. The definitions for stillbirths used in some of the studies were also somewhat subjective, going anywhere from 28 weeks to 24 weeks.

For those who've dealt with a stillbirth, researchers recommend regular checkups with the doctor while pregnant to monitor any potential problems for future pregnancies. 

"Despite the higher risk of recurrence, most pregnancies following a stillbirth will progress normally and end in the birth of a healthy baby," Sohinee Bhattacharya, study leader and a lecturer at the Institute of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, said via Health Day.

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