Stillbirth

Stillbirth
The tragic birth of a dead baby, the delivery of a fetus that has died before birth. There is no possibility of resuscitation. The word "stillbirth" is a fusion of "still" in the now-obsolete sense of "dead" and "birth" = dead birth. The distinction between a stillbirth and a miscarriage is arbitrary. The dividing line is variously set at 20 to 24 weeks of gestation. Before that time it is a miscarriage (also called a spontaneous abortion). After that time it is a stillbirth.
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The birth of an infant who has died prior to delivery.

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still·birth 'stil-.bərth, -'bərth n the birth of a dead fetus compare LIVE BIRTH

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n.
birth of a fetus that shows no evidence of life (heartbeat, respiration, or independent movement) at any time later than 24 weeks after conception. Under the Stillbirth (Definition) Act 1992, there is a legal obligation to notify all stillbirths to the appropriate authority. The number of such births expressed per 1000 births (live and still) is known as the stillbirth rate. In legal terms, viability is deemed to start at the 24th week of pregnancy and a fetus born dead before this time is known as an abortion or miscarriage. However, some fetuses born alive before the 24th week may now survive as a result of improved perinatal care.

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still·birth (stilґburth″) the delivery of a dead child; see fetal death, under death.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Stillbirth — Still birth , n. 1. The birth of a dead fetus. [1913 Webster] 2. a fetus which was born dead. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • stillbirth — 1785, from STILL (Cf. still) (adj.) + BIRTH (Cf. birth) …   Etymology dictionary

  • stillbirth — ► NOUN ▪ the birth of an infant that has died in the womb …   English terms dictionary

  • stillbirth — [stil′bʉrth΄] n. 1. the birth of a stillborn fetus 2. a stillborn fetus …   English World dictionary

  • Stillbirth — ] CanadaBeginning in 1959, the definition of a stillbirth was revised to conform, in substance, to the definition of fetal death recommended by the World Health Organization. [Statistics Canada (“Canada’s National Statistical Agency”), [http://64 …   Wikipedia

  • stillbirth — n. birth of a fetus that shows no evidence of life (heartbeat, respiration, or independent movement) at any time later than 24 weeks after conception. Under the Stillbirth (Definition) Act 1992, there is a legal obligation to notify all… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • stillbirth — UK [ˈstɪlˌbɜː(r)θ] / US [ˈstɪlˌbɜrθ] noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms stillbirth : singular stillbirth plural stillbirths a birth in which the baby is born dead …   English dictionary

  • stillbirth — noun The birth of a dead fetus. The delivery of an infant which is dead at birth. Each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of the newborn child. See Also: stillborn …   Wiktionary

  • stillbirth — [[t]stɪ̱lbɜː(r)θ[/t]] stillbirths N VAR A stillbirth is the birth of a dead baby …   English dictionary

  • Stillbirth Remembrance Day — In the United States and Canada, Stillbirth Remembrance Day is a day set aside each year to honor and remember babies that have been stillborn. In many cases, this definition is expanded to include babies lost to miscarriage, SIDS, and… …   Wikipedia

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