Due to lack of research, 30% of stillbirths remain unexplained. However, some conditions that can cause stillbirth or may be associated with stillbirth include:
- bleeding (haemorrhage): before or during labour
- problems with the placenta (afterbirth): which can separate from the womb before the baby is born (placental abruption), or the placenta can fail to provide the baby with enough oxygen and nutrients which means that the baby does not grow properly (intra-uterine growth restriction is associated with one-third of all stillbirths)
- a problem with the umbilical cord: which attaches the placenta to your baby’s tummy button; it can slip down through the entrance of the womb before the baby is born (known as cord prolapse and it occurs in about 1 in 200 births), or it can wrap around the baby’s neck
- pre-eclampsia: a condition that can cause high blood pressure in the mother; mild pre-eclampsia can affect up to 10% of first time pregnancies and more severe pre-eclampsia can affect 1-2% of pregnancies
- a genetic physical defect in the baby
- a liver disorder in the mother called obstetric cholestasis which occurs in 1 in 200 pregnancies; see the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) website for more information about obstetric cholestasis
- diabetes in the mother
- infection in the mother that also affects the baby (see below)
Infections
About 7% of stillbirths are caused by an infection. The infection can either ascend from the vagina into the womb (uterus) or it can be passed from the mother to the baby through the placenta.
Infections that can cause stillbirth include:
- coxsackie virus: which can cause hand, foot and mouth disease in humans
- cytomegalovirus: a common virus from the herpes family of viruses that often causes few symptoms in the mother
- herpes simplex: the virus that causes
- leptospirosis: a bacterial infection that is caught from animals such as cows, pigs, dogs and rats
- listeriosis: an infection that usually develops after eating food that has been contaminated by bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes (listeria); it may cause vomiting and diarrhoea in the mother (see preventing stillbirth for more information about the foods to avoid during pregnancy)
- Lyme disease: a bacterial infection that is spread by infected ticks
- malaria: a tropical disease that is spread by mosquitoes
- parvovirus B19: which causes slapped cheek syndrome, a common childhood infection
- Q fever: a bacterial infection caught from animals such as sheep, goats and cows
- rubella (German measles): this is rare because most pregnant women have had the MMR vaccine to protect against rubella
- flu: it is recommended that all pregnant women have the seasonal flu vaccine irrespective of their stage of pregnancy
- toxoplasmosis: an infection caused by a parasite that is found in soil and cat faeces
Increased risk
There are a number of factors that increase your risk of having a stillborn baby. They are:
