Anatom3DStillbirth
Mors fetus intrauterina · Mrtvě narozené dítě
female only
What it is
A baby who dies in the womb after 28 weeks (WHO; from 20–24 weeks in many rich countries); about 1.9 million a year worldwide, most preventable with good care in pregnancy and labour.
Symptoms & signs
- Baby's movements slow down or stop
- no heartbeat at the check
- bleeding or pain if the placenta has separated
- often no warning
🚩 Get help if…
- call 112 / 911 now Baby moving less, or a change in the pattern of movements
- call 112 / 911 now Bleeding from the vagina in pregnancy
- call 112 / 911 now Constant belly pain or a hard, tender womb
- call 112 / 911 now Sudden severe headache, vision changes or swelling in late pregnancy
Where it strikes
Medical treatment
- Ultrasound to confirm
- induction with mifepristone and misoprostol — vaginal birth usually safer than caesarean
- post-mortem, placenta examination and blood tests for the cause
- bereavement care and time with the baby
- next pregnancy: early care, aspirin if the placenta failed, earlier birth
- Induction at 41 weeks rather than waiting — SWEPIS trial stopped early after 6 perinatal deaths in the waiting group, none with induction trials support
Natural & lifestyle
- Sleep on the side from 28 weeks — case-control studies link sleeping on the back to stillbirth
- stop smoking
- report reduced movements the same day
- healthy weight before pregnancy
Emerging & experimental
- Campaigns on fetal movement awareness — AFFIRM trial: no fewer stillbirths, more interventions not confirmed in trials
- sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and late growth scans to find babies at risk
Alternative, off-label & anecdotal
Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.
- Home Doppler heartbeat monitors — false reassurance; advised against not confirmed in trials
- Kick-counting apps — do not replace a same-day check when movements change anecdotal / traditional
ICD codes
- ICD-10 P95
- ICD-11 KD3B Fetal death, cause not specified