What is Still Born Babies?

There can be few things more traumatic for a woman to go through than giving birth to a still born baby. The definition of still born, or a still birth, is a baby which is born dead after 24 complete weeks of pregnancy. If a woman loses her baby earlier than the 24 week stage it is classed as a miscarriage. What compounds the situation for many couples is that in many cases the exact cause of the baby’s death is never really known. Although a post-mortem may provide some information. A post-mortem can’t be carried out without the parents’ permission so a health professional will explain everything to you and your partner before you have to make a decision. But a post-mortem could be useful to identify problems that could recur in a future pregnancy. This will then enable your GP to arrange for specific monitoring or treatment to be given if, or when, you decide to try for another baby. rnIn around 10 percent of still born babies a post-mortem reveals that the baby had some kind of abnormality. But there are other factors that may contribute including bleeding before or during premature labour, problems with a woman’s placenta or a problem with the umbilical cord. A mum to be’s high blood pressure, obesity, lifestyle, diabetes or even an infection, such as herpes simplex, could also increase the risk of having a still born baby. rnIf a woman suspects there is something wrong during her pregnancy an ultrasound scan is used to check whether the baby’s heart is beating. A baby that dies in the womb will need to be induced. This is usually done by inserting a pessary, or gel into the vagina. Sometimes a tablet will start labour or the mother is put on an inducing drip. In most cases birth then occurs within 24 hours. A caesarean will only be considered if the mother’s health is at risk. The parents of a still born baby are usually given a lot of support both during labour and afterwards and may even be assigned a midwife who specialises in bereavement counselling. The trauma of having a still birth affects people in different ways. Some people want, and are able, to get back to normal quite quickly and start planning another pregnancy, while others need more time to grieve. The important thing is for a couple to do what’s right for them. After a still birth women will usually be monitored more closely during future pregnancies and deliveries.