Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Stillbirth shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Stillbirth offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Stillbirth at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Stillbirth? Wrong! If the Stillbirth is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Stillbirth then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Stillbirth? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Stillbirth and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Stillbirth wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Stillbirth then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Stillbirth site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Stillbirth, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Stillbirth, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{Infobox_Disease | Name = Stillbirth |
Image = Baby in ultrasound.jpg|thumb|right|
Caption = Ultrasonography is often used to diagnose stillbirth.|
DiseasesDB = |
ICD10 = {{ICD10|P|95||P|90--> |
ICD9 = |
ICDO = |
OMIM = |
MedlinePlus = 002304 |
eMedicineSubj = search |
eMedicineTopic = Stillbirth |
MeshID = |
-->A
stillbirth occurs when a fetus which has
death in the uterus or during labour (childbirth) or childbirth exits a woman's human body. The term is often used in distinction to live birth or
miscarriage. Most stillbirths occur in full term pregnancies.
Some sources reserve the term "stillbirth" for a fetus which has died after reaching mid-
second trimester to
full term gestational age. For example, in the United Kingdom, "stillbirth" is used to describe an infant delivered without life after 24 weeks gestation. The sources that use this definition tend to use the term "miscarriage" if the death occurs earlier in development. In contrast, other sources use the term "stillbirth" regardless of the stage of fetal development.
Human stillbirth
Causes
The causes of a large percentage of human stillbirths remain unknown, even in cases where extensive testing and
autopsy have been performed. The term used to describe these is sudden antenatal death syndrome or SADS. In cases where the cause is known, some possibilities of the cause of death are:
Prenatal diagnosis
A decrease or cessation of fetal activity may be an indication of fetal distress or death, though it is not entirely uncommon for a healthy fetus to exhibit such changes, particularly near the end of a
pregnancy when there is considerably little space in the
uterus for the fetus to move about. Still, medical examination, including a nonstress test, is recommended in the event of any change in the strength or frequency of fetal movement, especially a complete cease; most
midwife and
obstetricians recommend the use of a
kick chart to assist in detecting any changes. Fetal distress or death can be confirmed or ruled out via fetoscopy/doptone, obstetric ultrasonography, and/or electronic fetal monitoring. If the fetus is alive but inactive, extra attention will be given to the
placenta and umbilical cord during ultrasound examination to ensure that there is no compromise of oxygen and nutrient delivery.
Prenatal maternal treatment
An in utero fetal death does not present an immediate health risk to the woman and labour will usually begin spontaneously after two weeks, so the woman may choose to wait and deliver Childbirth#Second stage. After two weeks, the woman is at risk of developing blood clotting problems, and induction (birth) is recommended at this point. In many cases, the woman will find the idea of carrying a dead fetus
psychological trauma and will elect to be induced.
Cesarean delivery is not recommended unless complications develop during
Childbirth#Second stage.
Prevalence
Stillbirth is a relatively common, but often random, occurrence. The
mean stillbirth
rate in the
United States is approximately 1 in 115 births, which is roughly 26,000 stillbirths each
year, or on an average one every 20
minutes. In Australia,
England,
Wales, and
Northern Ireland, the rate is approximately 1 in every 200 births, in Scotland 1 in 167. (From The National Statistical Office and other sources.)
In developing country, where medical care can be of low quality or unavailable, the stillbirth rate is much higher.
Legal definitions of stillbirth
Australia
In
Australia any stillborn fetus weighing more than 400 grams, or more than 20 weeks in gestation, must have its birth registered. Should the parents of a stillborn child have children later that live, when registering the newer children's birth they must add SB beside the name of the stillborn child.
Canada
Beginning in 1959, "the definition of a stillbirth was revised to conform, in substance, to the definition of fetal death recommended by the World Health Organization." Statistics Canada (“Canada’s National Statistical Agency”), History, Vital Statistics - Stillbirth Database, in Vital Statistics – Stillbirth Database. The definition of "fetal death" promulgated by the World Health Organization in 1950 is as follows:
"Fetal death" means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy. The death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles. Heartbeats are to be distinguished from transient cardiac contractions; respirations are to be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps.
United Kingdom
In the
United Kingdom, stillbirths must be register by law. The Stillbirth Definition Act (
1992) states:
"any ‘child’ expelled or issued forth from its mother after the 24th week of pregnancy that did not breathe or show any other signs of life should be registered as a stillbirth." "Registration of Stillbirths and Certification for Pregnancy Loss before 24 Weeks Gestation"
Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved September 27, 2007 This must be done within 42 days and a Stillbirth Certificate is issued to the parent(s).
United States
In the
United States, there is no standard definition of the term 'stillbirth'.{{cite book | author =Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | authorlink=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |title=State Definitions and Reporting Requirements | edition=1997 Revision | publisher =National Center for Health Statistics | url=http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/itop97.pdf-->
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects statistical information on "live births, fetal deaths, and induced termination of pregnancy" from 57 reporting areas in the United States. Each reporting area has different guidelines and definitions for what is being reported; many do not use the term "stillbirth" at all. The federal guidelines suggests (at page 1) that fetal death and stillbirth can be interchangeable terms. The CDC definition of "fetal death" is based on the definition promulgated by the World Health Organization in 1950 (see Stillbirth#Canada).
The federal guidelines recommend reporting those fetal deaths whose birth weight is over 350g, or those over 19 weeks gestation. Forty-one areas use a definition very similar to the federal definition, thirteen areas use a shortened definition of fetal death, and three areas have no formal definition of fetal death. Only 11 areas specifically use the term 'stillbirth' , oftentimes synonymously with fetal death, however they are split between whether stillbirths are "irrespective of the duration of pregnancy", or whether some age or weight constraint is applied.
See also
Childbirth
Footnotes
External links
Grieving resources
- MISS Foundation support site for those bereaved of a child and advice for professionals on their support.
- SANDS AUSTRALIA providing support, information & counselling for bereaved parents & families
Activism/Prevention
- MISS Foundation an activist site of the MISS Foundation for parents of stillborn infants.
- National Stillbirth Society an activist group of parents for stillbirth education.
- Preferred Pregnancy Protocol for minimizing the risk of stillbirth due to cord accidents.
Factual/Reference
- The Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program (WiSSP), a branch of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Clinical Genetics Center. One of the foremost authorities on the causes of stillbirth and responsible for many stillbirth evaluation protocols, including the widespread use of the Kleihauer-Betke test in deciding whether Rh disease is to blame for a stillbirth.
- Pregnancy Institute founded by Dr. Jason H. Collins, OB/GYN specializes in umbilical cord research
- Investigating perinatal death: a review of the options when autopsy consent is refused.
{{Infobox_Disease | Name = Stillbirth |
Image = Baby in ultrasound.jpg|thumb|right|
Caption = Ultrasonography is often used to diagnose stillbirth.|
DiseasesDB = |
ICD10 = {{ICD10|P|95||P|90--> |
ICD9 = |
ICDO = |
OMIM = |
MedlinePlus = 002304 |
eMedicineSubj = search |
eMedicineTopic = Stillbirth |
MeshID = |
-->A
stillbirth occurs when a
fetus which has death in the uterus or during labour (childbirth) or childbirth exits a
woman's human body. The term is often used in distinction to live birth or miscarriage. Most stillbirths occur in full term pregnancies.
Some sources reserve the term "stillbirth" for a fetus which has died after reaching mid-
second trimester to
full term gestational age. For example, in the United Kingdom, "stillbirth" is used to describe an infant delivered without life after 24 weeks gestation. The sources that use this definition tend to use the term "miscarriage" if the death occurs earlier in development. In contrast, other sources use the term "stillbirth" regardless of the stage of fetal development.
Human stillbirth
Causes
The causes of a large percentage of
human stillbirths remain unknown, even in cases where extensive testing and
autopsy have been performed. The term used to describe these is sudden antenatal death syndrome or SADS. In cases where the cause is known, some possibilities of the cause of death are:
Prenatal diagnosis
A decrease or cessation of fetal activity may be an indication of fetal distress or death, though it is not entirely uncommon for a healthy fetus to exhibit such changes, particularly near the end of a pregnancy when there is considerably little space in the uterus for the fetus to move about. Still,
medical examination, including a nonstress test, is recommended in the event of any change in the strength or frequency of fetal movement, especially a complete cease; most midwife and
obstetricians recommend the use of a
kick chart to assist in detecting any changes. Fetal distress or death can be confirmed or ruled out via fetoscopy/doptone,
obstetric ultrasonography, and/or
electronic fetal monitoring. If the fetus is alive but inactive, extra attention will be given to the
placenta and
umbilical cord during ultrasound examination to ensure that there is no compromise of oxygen and nutrient delivery.
Prenatal maternal treatment
An in utero fetal death does not present an immediate health risk to the woman and labour will usually begin
spontaneously after two weeks, so the woman may choose to wait and deliver Childbirth#Second stage. After two weeks, the woman is at risk of developing blood
clotting problems, and
induction (birth) is recommended at this point. In many cases, the woman will find the idea of carrying a dead fetus psychological trauma and will elect to be induced.
Cesarean delivery is not recommended unless complications develop during
Childbirth#Second stage.
Prevalence
Stillbirth is a relatively common, but often random, occurrence. The mean stillbirth
rate in the
United States is approximately 1 in 115 births, which is roughly 26,000 stillbirths each
year, or on an average one every 20
minutes. In Australia,
England,
Wales, and Northern Ireland, the rate is approximately 1 in every 200 births, in Scotland 1 in 167. (From The National Statistical Office and other sources.)
In
developing country, where
medical care can be of low quality or unavailable, the stillbirth rate is much higher.
Legal definitions of stillbirth
Australia
In Australia any stillborn fetus weighing more than 400 grams, or more than 20 weeks in gestation, must have its birth registered. Should the parents of a stillborn child have children later that live, when registering the newer children's birth they must add SB beside the name of the stillborn child.
Canada
Beginning in 1959, "the definition of a stillbirth was revised to conform, in substance, to the definition of fetal death recommended by the World Health Organization." Statistics Canada (“Canada’s National Statistical Agency”), History, Vital Statistics - Stillbirth Database, in Vital Statistics – Stillbirth Database. The definition of "fetal death" promulgated by the World Health Organization in 1950 is as follows:
"Fetal death" means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy. The death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles. Heartbeats are to be distinguished from transient cardiac contractions; respirations are to be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps.
United Kingdom
In the
United Kingdom, stillbirths must be register by law. The Stillbirth Definition Act (1992) states:
"any ‘child’ expelled or issued forth from its mother after the 24th week of pregnancy that did not breathe or show any other signs of life should be registered as a stillbirth." "Registration of Stillbirths and Certification for Pregnancy Loss before 24 Weeks Gestation"
Royal College of Midwives. Retrieved September 27, 2007 This must be done within 42 days and a Stillbirth Certificate is issued to the parent(s).
United States
In the United States, there is no standard definition of the term 'stillbirth'.{{cite book | author =Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | authorlink=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |title=State Definitions and Reporting Requirements | edition=1997 Revision | publisher =National Center for Health Statistics | url=http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/itop97.pdf-->
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collects statistical information on "live births, fetal deaths, and induced termination of pregnancy" from 57 reporting areas in the United States. Each reporting area has different guidelines and definitions for what is being reported; many do not use the term "stillbirth" at all. The federal guidelines suggests (at page 1) that fetal death and stillbirth can be interchangeable terms. The CDC definition of "fetal death" is based on the definition promulgated by the World Health Organization in 1950 (see
Stillbirth#Canada).
The federal guidelines recommend reporting those fetal deaths whose birth weight is over 350g, or those over 19 weeks gestation. Forty-one areas use a definition very similar to the federal definition, thirteen areas use a shortened definition of fetal death, and three areas have no formal definition of fetal death. Only 11 areas specifically use the term 'stillbirth' , oftentimes synonymously with fetal death, however they are split between whether stillbirths are "irrespective of the duration of pregnancy", or whether some age or weight constraint is applied.
See also
Childbirth
Footnotes
External links
Grieving resources
- MISS Foundation support site for those bereaved of a child and advice for professionals on their support.
- SANDS AUSTRALIA providing support, information & counselling for bereaved parents & families
Activism/Prevention
- MISS Foundation an activist site of the MISS Foundation for parents of stillborn infants.
- National Stillbirth Society an activist group of parents for stillbirth education.
- Preferred Pregnancy Protocol for minimizing the risk of stillbirth due to cord accidents.
Factual/Reference
- The Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program (WiSSP), a branch of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Clinical Genetics Center. One of the foremost authorities on the causes of stillbirth and responsible for many stillbirth evaluation protocols, including the widespread use of the Kleihauer-Betke test in deciding whether Rh disease is to blame for a stillbirth.
- Pregnancy Institute founded by Dr. Jason H. Collins, OB/GYN specializes in umbilical cord research
- Investigating perinatal death: a review of the options when autopsy consent is refused.
Miscarriage Information: Stillbirth and Stillbirth Prevention
Pregnancy is a time of joy for most parents, filled with hope, excitement, and expectations for the future. But pregnancy can also be a time of worry and fear, particularly when ...
Stillbirth Definition - Health encyclopaedia - NHS Direct
A baby born after the 24th week of pregnancy, who shows no signs of life ... A stillborn baby is legally defined as a baby born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not show ...
Stillbirth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A stillbirth, meaning "quiet birth", occurs when a fetus which has died in the uterus or during labor or delivery exits a woman 's body. The term is often used in distinction to ...
BBC - Parenting - Having a baby - Stillbirth
The causes, risk factors and warning signs of stillbirth ... Stillbirth. After the months of anticipation, it's hard to imagine anything more devastating than the loss of a newborn ...
North Yorkshire County Council : Stillbirth - registering
We understand that experiencing a stillbirth will make you feel overwhelming grief and shock. There may be bereavement counsellors in the hospital to give you help and guidance ...
Definition: stillbirth from Online Medical Dictionary
The Online Medical Dictionary is a searchable dictionary of definitions from medicine, science and technology.
Registering a Stillbirth
This page gives you information about how to register a death that occurred in England or Wales. The registration systems in Scotland and Northern Ireland are different from that ...
Registering a stillbirth
Information on the procedures for registering a stillbirth in the Glasgow area. ... Registering a Stillbirth . Stillbirths must be registered within 21 days . The address of the ...
Stillbirth - Overview - Definition
Information on Stillbirth from NHS Choices including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, risks and treatment and with links to other useful resources
Wiltshire County Council | Birth - stillbirths - registering
All stillbirths must normally be registered within 42 days. A stillbirth cannot be registered more than 3 months after its occurrence.
