STILLBIRTH

Stillbirth affects about 1 in 175 births, and each year about 21,000 babies are stillborn in the US.

A stillbirth is when a fetus dies in the uterus after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Stillbirth is different from miscarriage. In the United States, a miscarriage is usually defined as the loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy.

Stillbirth is further classified as early, late, or term:

• Early is the loss of a fetus between 20 and 27 weeks of pregnancy.

• Late is the loss of a fetus between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

• Term is the loss of a fetus at 37 or more weeks of pregnancy.

Stillbirth occurs in families of all races, ethnicities, and income levels, and to women of all ages. However, stillbirth occurs more commonly among certain groups of people including women who

• Are 35 years of age or older

• Are of low socioeconomic status

• Smoke cigarettes during pregnancy

• Have certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure

• Are pregnant with more than one baby (such as twins or triplets)

• Have had a stillbirth in the past

Stillbirths also occur more often to women in certain racial or ethnic groups. In 2020, stillbirth occurred among non-Hispanic Black women two times more often than among non-Hispanic White and Asian or Pacific Islander women.

Health disparities in stillbirth are not rooted in biological or genetic differences between races and ethnicities. These disparities can be attributed to many underlying causes, including access to quality health care, pre-existing health conditions, and structural discrimination. Investigating these disparities is an important part of creating programs to reduce them.