More Than 1 in 4 Stillbirths Have No Risk Factor

A new study suggests stillbirths in the United States are more common than previously believed, with Black families and those in low-income communities facing the highest risks. Researchers from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Mass General Brigham analyzed nearly 2.8 million pregnancies, finding almost 19,000 stillbirths between 2016 and 2022. That amounts to 1 in every 147 births, compared to the CDC's estimate of 1 in 175, per the Washington Post. Authors of the study, published Monday in JAMA, point to discrepancies in how fetal deaths are reported across states as one reason for the higher numbers. The risk was even higher for low-income families (1 in 112 births) and in areas with larger Black populations (1 in 95).

Experts say the overall rate of stillbirth has declined over the past three decades, but the pace of improvement has slowed. While more than 70% of cases involved known risks like obesity or diabetes, 28% of stillbirths—including 40% of those after 40 weeks gestation—occurred without any identified clinical risk factors, per a release. "We have watches that track our sleep and stress, but we can't always tell when a pregnancy is in trouble," co-senior author Jessica Cohen tells the Post. Structural inequities, including access to resources, remain significant predictors of risk. The study's authors are calling for better screening and monitoring, but acknowledge that prevention tools remain limited. The United States continues to have a higher stillbirth rate than many peer nations, according to UNICEF.