Stillbirth is the term used to describe when a baby dies, either in the metra or during labour, and is delivered on or after the 24th week of pregnancy. Although there's been a worrying grow in stillbirths since 2001, there's no one factor that accounts for this change, and health professionals have called for more research into the area.
The cause of many stillbirths is unclear, and while there's cumulative evidence of a strong link between stillbirth and poor growth in the metra, in 50 per cent of cases the reasons for death are unknown.
Where the cause of death is identified, the most common reason (15 per cent) is because of physical defects. Other possible causes include a birth trauma, for example the umbilical cord can become wrapped around a baby's neck, or there can be placental problems.
Stillbirths can occur unexpectedly in healthy pregnancies, but there are also several known risk factors, including:
multiple pregnancies
smoking during pregnancy
being over 35
pre-existing health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes