Approximately 1 in every 200 pregnancies beyond 20 week's gestational age (term is 40 weeks), end in death of the baby inside the womb. Half of these occur in babies who are mature enough to expect more than a 95% chance of survival after birth. Yet most of these deaths cannot be anticipated, and many babies have abnormalities that may make survival difficult no matter when they are born.

In 2003 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provided support for five centers in the United States to collaborate in a study of the causes of stillbirth during and after mid-pregnancy. Pregnancy care-givers in Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts have been chosen to help in exploring this important issue. This "network" stillbirth study will examine all stillbirths that occur in each of five geographic areas from 2005-2007. We expect to examine 500 stillbirths to help parents and care-givers understand more about how to predict and prevent stillbirths.

During the last several years greater efforts have been made to evaluate babies who have died in the uterus to help with management of future pregnancies. Presently only 40% of these deaths can be explained. Recognized factors that may contribute to stillbirth include fetal viral infection, abnormal fetal genes, damage of the placenta or abnormalities of flow of blood to the uterus. Most contributing factors are often unrecognized during the time of pregnancy and beyond the control of parents or medical care.

Parents who have a stillborn baby are usually devastated by this unexpected event. Most mothers experience emptiness, loneliness, anger and guilt for many months before healing becomes apparent. However, grieving is a normal and necessary process. The network acknowledges that grieving is complex and different for each stillbirth family. Health care professionals are seeking a better understanding of stillbirth to provide sensitive individualized care. It is hoped that increased knowledge obtained through our research will also help Southeastern New England families and their physicians to understand, develop and improve clinical, bereavement and preventive care.