what is a stillbirth
A stillbirth is the death or loss of a baby before or during delivery. Both miscarriage and stillbirth describe pregnancy loss, but they differ according to when the loss occurs. In the United States, a miscarriage is usually defined as loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy, and a stillbirth is loss of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
What is stillbirth? When a baby dies in utero at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later, it's called a stillbirth. (When a pregnancy is lost before 20 weeks, it's called a miscarriage.) About 1 in 160 pregnancies ends in stillbirth in the United States. Most stillbirths happen before labor begins, but a small number occur during labor and delivery.