Stillbirth

Stillbirth, defined as fetal death at 20 or more weeks of gestation or 350 g or greater in birth weight, is a tragic outcome for families and clinicians.1 Stillbirth affects approximately 5.7 per 1000 births in the US—equivalent to 21 000 annually—and can occur antenatally (83%) or intrapartum (17%).2 This rate has remained relatively stable over the past 2 decades, despite substantial reductions in infant and childhood mortality.3,4 Stillbirth prevention is complex because many cases of stillbirth are unexplained, and there are substantial disparities in incidence by geographic region, socioeconomic status, and maternal race.5