Stillbirth

A stillbirth is when a baby is born dead after at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. If the baby dies before 24 weeks this is known as a miscarriage. Around 3,200 babies are stillborn each year in the UK – 2.6 million worldwide.

The UK has one of the highest stillbirth rates of high-income countries, with around 9 babies being stillborn every day.

The rate of stillbirth has hardly decreased since 1990. It often happens unexpectedly, with no obvious explanation. Many parents want to know why their baby has died, whether it might happen again if they try for another baby and what they can do to stop it.