What causes stillbirth?

Answer 1

Stillbirth is the delivery of a non-breathing non-viable fetus through vaginal delivery. This can be caused by a variety of issues, including an infection in the uterus, a congenital malformation of the fetus or injury or trauma to the fetus during late gestation or delivery (such as an umbilical cord wrapped around the neck causing strangulation).

Answer 2

Pathology case records of 3,514 aborted fetuses, stillborn foals, or foals that died < 24 hours after birth and of 13 placentas from mares whose foals were weak or unthrifty at birth were reviewed to determine the cause of abortion, death, or illness. Fetoplacental infection caused by bacteria (n = 628), equine herpesvirus (143), fungi (61), or placentitis (351), in which an etiologic agent could not be defined, was the most common diagnosis. Complications of birth, including neonatal asphyxia, dystocia, or trauma, were the second most common cause of mortality and were diagnosed in 19% of the cases (679). Other common diagnoses were placental edema or premature separation of placenta (249), development of twins (221), contracted foal syndrome (188), other congenital anomalies (160), and umbilical cord abnormalities (121). Less common conditions were placental villous atrophy or body pregnancy (81), fetal diarrhea syndrome (34), and neoplasms or miscellaneous conditions (26). A diagnosis was not established in 16% of the cases seen (585). The study revealed that leptospirosis (78) was an important cause of bacterial abortion in mares, and that infection by a nocardioform actinomycete (45) was an important cause of chronic placentitis.

Answer 3

Stillbirth can be caused by a variety of factors, including placental problems, birth defects, infections, umbilical cord issues, and medical conditions in the mother such as high blood pressure or Diabetes. In some cases, the cause remains unknown.