According to the University of Illinois Medical Center, a baby is considered stillborn if it dies before birth but after 20 gestational weeks. Stillbirth is still the term used for a baby that dies right up to labor and delivery according to Epigee.org. There are many known causes of stillbirth but the University of Illinois Medical Center proclaims that 50 percent of the cases of stillbirth have an unknown cause. The University of Illinois Medical Center identifies infection, trauma to the mother's abdomen, birth defects, maternal diabetes, placenta or umbilical cord problems, or Rh incompatibility as common reasons for stillbirth. Epigee.org suggests that the rate of stillbirth is one in every 200 pregnancies with 14 percent of them occurring during labor and delivery. Within two weeks of the death of the fetus within the womb the body will go into labor to expel the body.
Lack of Movement
When the baby's movement can no longer be detected by the mother it may be a sign of stillbirth. Kick counts are a way to ensure the mother is paying attention to the fetal movements. To perform kick counts, the mother rests on her side and counts the number of times the baby moves within a period of time set by her health care provider. The further along in pregnancy a woman is the more accustomed she may become to the movements of the baby in the womb. By taking time to count movements, the mother can be sure she has not mistakenly assumed the baby stopped moving . A baby that is nearly full term may also have less room to readjust.
Uterus Fails to Grow
As the baby grows, the uterus, or womb will also grow according to University of Illinois Medical Center. A baby that dies in the womb will fail to grow. Prenatal appointments usually include a fundal height measurement. The health care provider measures from the pubic bone to the end of the uterus to chart the growth of the womb. A womb that fails to progress at a normal rate of growth may signal something is wrong. The medical professional will perform other routine observations to determine the reason for the uterus' lack of expansion.
Inaudible Heartbeat
Prenatal appointments not only consist of fundal height measurements but also heartbeat monitoring. A special doppler device is used to listen for the baby's heartbeat. It may be difficult to find the heartbeat but the doctor will be persistent until the heartbeat is found. If no heartbeat can be heard then the doctor will conduct other tests to determine the reason. If the doppler is unable to pick up the heartbeat and the doctor has conducted other tests then the baby may have died.
