Stillbirth – is it a preventable public health problem in the 21st century?

The grief of stillbirth continues to affect a large number of parents in the 21st century. The causes vary throughout the world, with the most prominent being fetal growth restriction, fetal abnormalities, pre-existing maternal medical conditions and infections. Worldwide, as some causes are becoming less prevalent, new causes are emerging, for example maternal obesity. This article reviews the aetiology of stillbirth and attempts to explain the apparent plateauing of stillbirth numbers. Suggestions are made for ways of reducing these rates in various settings throughout the world. Addressing lifestyle factors and the obesity epidemic as well as more effective screening for growth restriction are two interventions most likely to achieve further reductions in stillbirth rates in high-income countries.