Basic Information about Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death

DEFINING THE TERMS

The terms "stillbirth," "miscarriage," and "neonatal death" are often misunderstood if they are understood at all. 

  • Miscarriage is an early pregnancy loss, occurring before 20 weeks gestation. (United States)

  • Terminating a wanted pregnancy for medical reasons usually happens during the 2nd trimester (but can occur in the 1st trimester) and a baby has received a life-limiting or fatal diagnosis. The parents have to make the decision whether to continue the pregnancy. This also occurs when a rare pregnancy or other health complications pose a notable threat to the mother's life if she continues the pregnancy.

  • Stillbirth ("fetal death" or "fetal demise") is the birth of an infant that has died in the womb after 20 weeks of gestation. (United States)

  • Neonatal death is when a baby dies in the first 28 days of life.


BASIC FACTS ABOUT PREGNANCY & INFANT LOSS

  • 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss—however, the number may be as high as 50% (Jaffe & Diamond, 2011).

  • Approximately 24,000 babies annually will be stillborn (>20 weeks gestation). An additional 23,000 infants will die within the first 28 days of life (MacDorman & Gregory, 2015).

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