Stillbirth
Overview
A stillbirth is when a baby is born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. It happens in around 1 in every 250 births in England.
Symptoms
Baby born dead after 24 weeks.
Causes
Some stillbirths are linked to complications with the placenta, a birth defect or with the mother's health. For others, no cause is found. Read more aboutcauses of stillbirth.
Treatment
Bereavement support; Medical investigation (post-mortem).
Prevention
Not all stillbirths can be prevented, but there are some things you can do to reduce your risk, such as: not smokingavoidingdrugsandalcoholduring pregnancy – these can seriously affect your baby's development, and increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirthnot going to sleep on your back after 28 weeks – don't worry if you wake up on your back, just turn onto your side before you go back to sleepattending all yourantenatal appointmentsso that midwives can monitor the growth and wellbeing of your babytakingfolic acidbefore and up to 12 weeks of pregnancymaking sure all your vaccinations are up to date – speak to your midwife or GP for advicelimiting the amount of caffeine you consume during pregnancy
When to see a doctor
Contact midwife IMMEDIATELY if: baby's movements slow down or stop.