Stillbirths More Common for Women With Previous Infant Deaths

A woman who loses a child during the baby’s first year of life is at risk of having a stillbirth in her next pregnancy, according to research that underscores the importance of good health before conception.

Women who lose a child in the infant’s first year of life were three times more likely to have a stillbirth than women whose children survive to their first birthday, research today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found. Black women were more likely than white women to suffer a subsequent stillbirth, the study showed.