Management of Pregnancy After Stillbirth

It is difficult for clinicians to counsel, evaluate, and manage subsequent pregnancies after stillbirth as little is known about pregnancy outcome after a stillbirth. In a significant number of cases, either the evaluation was incomplete or the prior stillbirth remains unexplained despite a complete work-up. In addition, there are important psychological and emotional issues when dealing with a pregnancy resulting in a stillbirth. The overall recurrence risk for stillbirth is increased 2 to 10 folds in the next pregnancy, depending on the circumstances. Understanding the circumstances of the previous stillbirth is important for counseling about stillbirth recurrence risk. Categorization of the cause of the previous stillbirth will allow better estimation of individual recurrence risk of the condition that is associated with stillbirth and help guide management.