A stillbirth happens when a baby dies in utero and is born dead after 24 weeks of pregnancy. If this event happens prior to the 24 week period it is known as a miscarriage or late foetal loss. The cause of stillbirth may be related to Problems with the placenta Bleeding before or at the time of labour Pre–eclampsia ( this causes high blood pressure during the pregnancy) Cord prolapse (umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck or comes out of the womb before the baby is born) Obstetric cholestasis/intrahepatic cholestasis Maternal diabetes Genetic defect Infection Multiple pregnancies Restricted growth in utero Maternal Age Maternal drug; alcohol abuse Maternal smoking Obesity Eating uncooked meat or poultry or foods that are not to be eaten during pregnancy Antenatal checks will be made at various times during the pregnancy and these antenatal appointments will be carefully organised. At each antenatal appointment, a midwife will carry out various tests and investigations to check the mother’s health and to ensure that the pregnancy is going to plan. Blood tests are carried out at some of these antenatal appointments, blood pressure, weight is checked and urine samples are tested. The girth of the abdomen is also checked to ensure that the baby is growing as it should. It is usual during a woman’s first pregnancy to have up to 10 antenatal appointments. If it is not the woman’s first pregnancy she will have 7 antenatal appointments. Scans will be carried out between 8 – 14 weeks of the pregnancy to check the estimated date of delivery of the baby. Further scans are carried out between 18 – 21 weeks to check the physical development of the baby but it cannot pick up every condition. It can estimate the size of the baby and if any conditions are found at the time of this scan then a further scan can be organised. Other than that, the only other checks made during the antenatal period to ensure the baby is healthy is if the mother notices any changes during her pregnancy, such as reduced fetal movements after 24 weeks, vaginal bleeding, ongoing headaches, dizziness or vomiting and it is for her to alert her GP or midwife to any concerns that could relate to stillbirth. If a baby is smaller than it should be or stops growing at any point of the pregnancy this should be a significant finding as well. If these issues are raised by the mother and no action is taken by the midwife, GP or hospital and a stillbirth occurs that could have been prevented then there is potential for a claim to be instigated by the mother.