Definitions and medical terms about stillbirth

Parents get lots of information after a stillbirth and some of it can be confusing and hard to understand. Here are some commonly used medical terms that you might hear. 

Anaesthetist

An anaesthetist is a doctor who specialises in providing pain relief. They may give an epidural, spinal or general anaesthetic if needed. They may also give care if you are extremely unwell and need high-dependency care.

Antepartum stillbirth

Antepartum stillbirth is the term for when the baby dies in the womb before labour begins. 

Antiphospholipid syndrome (also known as Hughes’s syndrome, sticky blood syndrome, APS)

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a condition affecting the immune system. It increases the risk of blood clots and pregnancy complications.

Bereavement midwife or officer

A bereavement midwife, or officer, has had special training in helping parents after a pregnancy loss or stillbirth. They can talk to you about bereavement, seeing your baby, spending time and creating memories with your baby and the support that’s available when you leave the hospital. They can also help you with paperwork, planning a funeral, and other practical matters after a stillbirth. 

Cervix

The cervix is the passage at the end of the womb that leads to the vagina. The cervix is normally closed and very narrow. When you give birth, the cervix opens to allow the baby through the vagina and out of the body. Sometimes health professionals talk about ‘cervical incompetence’. Try to remember that this is a medical term – it doesn’t describe you or your body. We have more information about cervical incompetence.  

Chaplain

Chaplains offer spiritual care to patients and their families. They can help you if you want your baby to be blessed following a stillbirth, need guidance organising the funeral or need spiritual support while you’re in hospital. Some hospitals have chaplains from different faiths. You don’t have to be a practising believer to talk to the chaplain. In some hospitals, the chaplain will also take on the role of bereavement officer and help you with the practicalities such as paperwork too.  

Chromosome abnormalities

Chromosomes are the structures that hold genes. They are found in cells. There are lots of different chromosome abnormalities, but they are either a problem with the number of chromosomes or their structure. This usually happens when something goes wrong when cells are dividing.

Chromosome abnormalities affect how a baby develops in the womb. They are thought to be a possible cause of early miscarriage (before 12-13 weeks) and stillbirth later in pregnancy. 

Chorioamnionitis

Chorioamnionitis is inflammation of the membranes around the baby in the womb, sometimes with infection too. It’s also sometimes called intrauterine infection. It can happen during pregnancy, labour, or following birth. The most common cause of chorioamnionitis is bacteria moving up to the womb from the vagina or cervix.

Consultant

A consultant is a senior doctor who has completed specialist training. Most work in hospitals. 

Cord prolapse

A cord prolapse is when the umbilical cord comes through the cervix into the vagina. It can happen if the waters break before 37 weeks. This can be life-threatening for the baby.

Coroner

A coroner is a lawyer or doctor, appointed by the local authority, who investigates the cause of deaths in certain circumstances. 

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)

If a baby’s growth slows or stops inside the womb, it’s known as fetal growth restriction (FGR). This puts babies at higher risk of being stillborn. If detected soon enough, there is a chance that this can be managed. We have more information about fetal growth restriction.  

Fetal movement

This is the movement of a baby in the womb. You might feel this movement initially as bubbles, which change to gentle rolls, or kicks when the baby is bigger. If a baby’s movements have slowed down, changed or stopped it may be a sign that the baby is not well and should be reported immediately to the hospital. Read more about monitoring your baby's pattern of movements.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. Sometimes you can manage it by eating a healthy, balanced diet, staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. Others may need to take medication. We have lots of information about gestational diabetes.

Group B strep (GBS)

Group B strep is a type of bacteria called streptococcal bacteria.  It’s normally harmless but if it spreads to a baby during labour it can make them very ill. Having antibiotics in labour reduces this risk. You can read more about Group B Strep (Strep B). 

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) or obstetric cholestasis (OC)

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), sometimes called obstetric cholestasis, is a condition affecting the liver in pregnancy. Normally, bile acids are made in the liver and flow to the gut to help digest food. But in ICP, the bile acids build up in the body instead. The most common symptom of ICP is itching, which can be mild or very intense. You can read more about obstetric cholestasis.

Intrapartum stillbirth

Intrapartum stillbirth is the term for when the baby dies after labour begins.

Large for gestational age (LGA)

Babies that are ‘large for gestational age’ means babies that are born over the 90th percentile. This means that the baby weighs more than 9 out of 10 babies born at the same gestational age in the population. We have more information for anyone worried about having a big baby. 

Medical examiner

A medical examiner is a senior doctor who may investigate deaths that are not investigated by the coroner. They are trained in the legal and clinical elements of death certification processes.  

Midwife

A midwife is a medical professional who provides care and support to pregnant women/birthing people and their families while pregnant, throughout labour and after a baby’s birth. Read more about what midwives do. 

Miscarriage

Miscarriage is the loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy. An early miscarriage happens in the first 12 to 13 weeks of pregnancy, while a late miscarriage happens after 13 weeks and before 24 weeks of pregnancy. We have more information about miscarriage.  

MBRRACE-UK

MBRRACE-UK stands for Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK. It is a national audit programme and is commissioned by all UK governments to collect information about all later term baby losses, stillbirths, neonatal deaths and maternal deaths across the UK. The programme tracks information about where and why babies and mums die every year.  

Mortuary

The hospital mortuary is the part of the hospital where bodies are kept after death.

Mortuary technician

The mortuary technician is the person who looks after bodies when they come to the mortuary. They work closely with funeral directors, the coroner and the pathologist.

Neonatal death

A neonatal death is when a baby dies during the first 28 days of life. This is usually split into early neonatal deaths which happen in the first 7 days after birth and late neonatal deaths which happen between 8 and 28 days. 

Obstetrician

An obstetrician is a doctor who specialises in the birthing person's care during pregnancy, labour and after birth.

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Obstetrics and gynaecology is the area of medicine that manages the care of women and birthing people’s reproductive health, their unborn baby and conditions specific to women and birthing people.

Paediatrician and Neonatalogist

A paediatrician specialises in the care of babies and children. A neonatologist specialises in newborn babies and works in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Paediatrics

Paediatrics is the term for the area of medicine that manages conditions affecting babies, children and young people.

Pathologist

A pathologist is a doctor who specialises in the causes of death and disease. They also carry out post-mortems.

Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT)

The national Perinatal Mortality Review Tool is a standardised review tool to help provide answers for bereaved parents about why their baby died. It was designed with user and parent involvement to support high-quality standardised perinatal reviews on the principle of 'review once, review well'. It is used when a baby dies in pregnancy from 22 weeks or dies within 28 days of being born. 

Placenta

The placenta and the umbilical cord link the baby to the mum/birthing person in the womb. The placenta is an organ attached to the wall of the womb linked to the baby by their umbilical cord. The placenta is the baby’s support system, processing their nutrients, waste and oxygen. After birth, the placenta comes away from the womb and comes through the vagina. Sometimes the placenta can get stuck, which is known as a retained placenta.

Placental abruption

Placental abruption is when the placenta comes away from the inside of the womb wall before the baby has been born. It is an emergency because the baby needs the placenta to keep them growing and healthy. Read more about placental abruption.

Post-mortem

A post-mortem is the examination of a body after death. It’s also known as an autopsy. It can help determine the cause of death. There are different types of post-mortems. We have more information about having a post-mortem after a stillbirth. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition caused by very stressful, distressing or frightening events.

Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some people in pregnancy (usually after 20 weeks) or soon after their baby is delivered. Signs of it include high blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in wee (proteinuria).

Premature birth

A premature birth, also known as a preterm birth, is when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. This can mean that the baby might not be fully developed and might need special care. 

Small-for-gestational age (SGA)

A small-for-gestational age (SGA) baby is a baby that is small but still growing at a normal rate and no abnormalities can be found. This differs from growth restriction where the baby has slow or static growth. 

Sonographer or midwife sonographer

A sonographer is trained to carry out ultrasound examinations. Midwife sonographers are trained midwives and sonographers.

Stillbirth

When a baby is born at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy showing no signs of life, this is known as a stillbirth.

Ultrasound scan (or sonogram)

An ultrasound scan uses sound waves to show images of the inside of the body, such as the womb. An ultrasound can be used to monitor a baby, make a diagnosis or help a surgeon during an operation.  

An external ultrasound involves moving a probe across the skin in the area being scanned, such as the abdomen. An internal scan or transvaginal scan (TVS) is when the probe is placed inside in the vagina.

Read more about ultrasound scans.