Stillbirth
Stillbirth, also called intrauterine fetal demise, is the loss of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy and before or during delivery. A stillborn baby does not show any signs of life, such as a heartbeat or breathing. Usually, there is nothing that can be done to prevent stillbirth.
WHAT CAUSES STILLBIRTH?
Often the cause is unknown. Sometimes stillbirth is caused by:
• An abnormality in the umbilical cord.
• An abnormality in the placenta.
• A birth defect, genetic disorder, or severe infection in the baby that causes him or her to develop abnormally.
WHAT INCREASES THE RISK OF STILLBIRTH?
The risk of stillbirth is increased if:
• You have a medical condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
• You use illegal
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Stillbirth is confirmed through a physical exam by your health care provider, and other tests such as an ultrasound or amniotic fluid study.
HOW WILL MY BABY BE DELIVERED?
Most stillborn babies are delivered vaginally. Occasionally, a stillborn baby may be delivered by cesarean section.
You may be able to choose to start labor artificially (labor induction) or to allow labor to begin naturally. If you choose to allow labor to begin naturally, labor should begin within two weeks of the baby 's death. If it does not, you will need a labor induction.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER DELIVERY?
• Parents are encouraged to hold their baby. You may bathe your baby, dress your baby, and sing or talk to your baby. Doing these things is normal and may help you feel close to your child. It may also help grieve and gain closure.
• Your baby may be examined to determine if problems were present that could recur in a future pregnancy.
• If you lost your baby because of an infection, you may be given medicine to treat the infection.
• You can expect to experience typical postpartum body changes such as vaginal blood loss for up to 6 weeks after delivery and breastmilk production. Your health care provider will help you manage these
In doing this project the literature drawn from is largely non-scholarly for the reason that I am prevailing upon the reader to think outside the box about birth. Most of the “scholarly” research that is available was written by doctors or nurses/nurse midwives who were trained in the medical model of birth. Since part of my premise is that the high rate of Cesarean sections is caused in part by viewing birth as a medical and therefore pathological event, and in part for its emergence as a capitalistic industry, it was then necessary to find literature written by people who have expertise in birthing though not from the traditional obstetrical/medical school approach.
Birth is a normal, physiological process, in which a woman’s body naturally prepares to expel the fetus within. It has occurred since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, childbirth has gradually evolved into what it is today - a highly managed whirlwind of unwarranted interventions. Jennifer Block, a journalist with over twelve years experience, has devoted herself to raising awareness regarding the authenticity of the Americanized standard of care in obstetrics, while guiding others to discover the truth behind the medical approach to birth in this country. In her book, Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, Jennifer Block brings forth startling truths concerning this country’s management of birth.
A mere four days later, the heart starts beating. Is abortion murder though? According to the Webster Dictionary, abortion is to terminate a pregnancy because the baby is not capable of living.
First let’s discuss what anencephaly is. Anencephaly is a serious birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull. This birth defect happens during the first month of pregnancy and usually before a woman knows she is pregnant. Anencephaly happens if the upper part of the neural tube does
When a mother finds out she is pregnant it is a wonderful experience. Most people are excited to see their first “picture” of their baby, the ultrasound. Even more exciting is getting an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. But ultrasounds are useful for more than just getting that first image of the fetus or finding out whether it is a boy or a girl. While it is something most parents dread finding out when pregnant, an ultrasound can also detect a birth defect. There are many different birth defects that can be detected by an ultrasound during pregnancy like Spina Bifida, Down syndrome, and abnormalities with the heart and lower urinary tract, and the importance of detecting them with an ultrasound is shown in the benefits of discovering the birth defect early, and the options it gives the parents after discovering the birth defect.
defects. They will remain in intensive care for weeks or months after their birth. Their
According to Planned Parenthood, “Abortion is a way to end pregnancy. Sometimes, an embryo or fetus stops developing and the body expels it. This is called spontaneous abortion or "miscarriage."
If the fetus weighs less than 18oz or is less than 20 weeks into the pregnancy, it is usually considered an abortion. These usually occur during the first three months of pregnancy. It is estimated that 25% of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion (Epner 725). The very early stage of the pregnancy, up to 49 days after conception, the woman has two choices. The first is to take a combination of drugs. The embryo is then passed out. The other method is to use a syringe, and gently suck the embryo out. The next type can be preformed six to fourteen weeks after conception. The method the doctor’s use is to insert a tube in the vagina, and then hook it up to a suction machine. The fetus is then removed. This procedure takes about ten minutes. The second trimester abortions are called D&E, which stands for dilation and evacuation. These are preformed up to the twenty-fifth week of pregnancy, and usually take ten to twenty minutes. The way they are preformed is the woman is given absorbent dilators, which open up the cervix and absorb the fluids. After this is left in overnight the woman then is ready for the evacuation stage. The fetus is easily removed with instruments and suction. In the last trimester of the pregnancy abortions are preformed mainly if the woman’s life is in danger or the fetus is severely deformed. Only one out of every ten thousand abortions are preformed this way. The main way that is used is by injecting a salt solution into the vagina, causing contractions. The baby is then born stillbirth (Epner 724).
There are two types of abortion a woman could have in her life. One is the spontaneous abortion. This happens to a woman when the fetus has died in the uterus because of natural causes. A fetal demise is measured to be a spontaneous death. This means that the baby has died without the mother interrupting the pregnancy and now she has to look for a way to get the baby out. It could also be cause by the mother age or the health issues she might have. Doctors have said that this has happen too many woman. Spontaneous abortion can also lead to the death of the mother.
A procedure called percutaneous could be done. This is the most accurate method, but would be performed later, during weeks 18-22 of the pregnancy ("How Do Health Care”). A sample of fetal blood from the umbilical cord would be taken, and the blood would be tested for the extra chromosome. Chromosomal testing of maternal blood could also be performed. This process would test the mother’s blood for the extra chromosome because the mother’s blood carries DNA from the baby which could show extra chromosome 21 material. There is also a practice called in vitro fertilization. This practice involves testing a fertilized egg for chromosomal imbalances or other genetic conditions before the egg is planted into the uterus. If one would want this process done, it is recommended that one should have genetic counseling before this procedure is performed, and have close monitoring and testing done during the pregnancy (“How Do Health Care”). One could have a diagnostic test done because it can interpret if a fetus has Down’s or not better than a screening test. Down syndrome does not always get diagnosed during the pregnancy, but sometimes after the birth of the
Prenatal care also includes many types of secondary prevention methods for expecting mothers. Keeping records of an expecting mother’s weight and blood pressure throughout pregnancy to make sure they are within the recommended range helps catch issues early. The expecting mother can have her blood tested to check for certain genetic markers that would detect certain diseases in the fetus to include, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and tay-sachs disease (Kirkham, Harris, & ...
Prenatal testing is a test offered to pregnant women in their first trimester. These tests are often performed but for most of the findings there is no cure like for Down syndrome (Latendresse; Denenis, 2015). Most tests are performed in order to find a cure. However, prenatal genetic testing is mostly used for informative reasons. The test can only detect the high risk of a problem. Most of the time it is not used for diagnosis. Most prenatal tests are sensitivity test leading to false-positive results. Some test can be misleading. Some prenatal test is linked to the risk of pregnancy loss (Latendresse, Denenis, 2015). The risk with a test that is not 100% positive will always raise the question, is it really worth it in the end.
Another technology that has been around for a while is the general ultrasound. In the article by Jennifer Wang she states, “The risk of a patient having a fetus with Down syndrome can be assessed non-invasively using fetal markers seen on ultrasound.
Newborn screening is the practice in which the harmful or potentially fatal conditions that can affect the infant's health or survival are detected. This process can prevent death or health problems and protect the infant against certain diseases and medical conditions. Newborn screening started in 1960's when many states in U.S.A. established a newborn test program for phenylketonuria (PKU) by using the Guthrie method, a system for the collection and transportation of blood samples on filter paper. Many Infants showed developments while receiving treatment. This success led to the addition of tests for other metabolic diseases. Over time, tests were added for endocrine disorders and now newborn screening program include more than 50 individual conditions.
We test 21 genetic markers and this gives us 99.99% accuracy; so when we say we are sure, we mean it. You can carry out the test in your own home or have it sent to us and we can do it for you. It is up to you. With us, you can finally confirm the paternity that you were unsure of.