Stillbirth: A sociopolitical issue

Stillbirth occurs in approximately 1 out of 110 births in the United States, yet little is understood about this experience. Unexplained stillbirths are major contributors to the developed world's perinatal mortality, as only about half have an identifiable cause of death. Because stillbirths are unpredictable and thus unpreventable, given the current state of science, researchers have called for more uniform definitions, a stricter postmortem protocol, standardized data collection, and increased funding to aid in prevention. The macrosystem for stillbirths includes epidemiology and public health systems that gather statistics on the incidence of stillbirth and its known causes and state record keeping related to both birth and death. Legitimation for women who have experienced stillbirth, through legislative and terminological changes, education, and research, is overdue, despite fears that related policy will trump reproductive rights. This article explores recent policy changes promoted by grassroots organizations relating to how stillbirths are recorded.