This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
On average, over 2.6 million stillbirths occur globally every year, with a significant majority happening in sub-Saharan Africa.
Published on July 14, 2019, a study by SIKOLIA WANYONYI AND MARLEEN TIMMERMAN highlights the importance of counselling and support for mothers who experience stillbirths.
Stillbirth is defined by the World Health Organisation as a foetal death after 28 weeks of pregnancy or when a baby who has reached viable gestational age dies before birth.
Causes of stillbirth include foetal growth restriction, placental abruption, maternal age, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, or drug abuse during pregnancy, and pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and hypertension.
Abdominal trauma and pregnancies far past the duration of 42 weeks gestation period can also contribute to an expectant mother losing the child before delivery.
It is essential for parents to be counselled before a specialist recommends the baby to be delivered either through induction of labour or to wait for labour to start on its own.
Investigations, including an autopsy, should be conducted to determine the cause of death, especially if the couple desires to have another pregnancy.
Stillbirth can take a serious toll on the health and well-being of the mother, leading to postpartum depression, socio-economic problems, stigma, and marriage break-ups.
Knowledge about the potential causes of stillbirth can be used to develop recommendations, policies, and services to help prevent future stillbirths.
Support groups, such as Still-a-Mum, can work with healthcare providers to help women and families cope with their losses together.
The government should encourage maternal health personnel to keep proper records of stillbirths for statistics and monitoring, and develop policies and clinical guidelines to mitigate cases before they occur.
