Causes of stillbirth: a clinicopathological study of 243 patients.
The clinical and autopsy findings in all stillbirths during the years 1974-1979 at the Helsinki University Central Hospital were analysed. There were 243 stillborn infants of whom 200 died before labour. According to the autopsy findings asphyxia accounted for 38% and major malformations for 17% of the deaths, but because of fetal maceration no diagnosis could be made at autopsy in 43%. The cause of death suggested by the clinical findings was placental failure in 57%, cord complication in 12% and major malformations in 17%. The cause of death remained unsolved in 9%. The importance of routine ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein screening for the detection of unrecognized risk patients is emphasized.
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000401:mortality; D001344:Autopsy; D001724:Birth Weight; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005387:Finland; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology