Is It a Miscarriage or Stillbirth?There are many terms associated with the loss of a fetus from the uterus, or the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy before a mother is even due to deliver her baby. When is the loss called a miscarriage, and when is it considered as a stillbirth? This article explains it all. Spontaneous abortion is another term for miscarriage. This means a woman loses her baby spontaneously, without actively causing the loss (by for instance, drinking abortive drugs, or using abortive devices such as vacuum). The term miscarriage is used when the pregnancy is terminated before the fetus reaches 20 weeks in the womb. 20 weeks is considered the age of viability, which is the estimated minimum age in weeks that a fetus’ growth of physical systems will have allowed it to survive in the external environment, should it be born prematurely. Simply put, if a fetus is born before 20 weeks, it does not have a chance of survival – therefore, it’s a miscarriage. On the other hand, stillbirth refers to the loss of a baby before it is due, and after it has been in the womb for 20 weeks. A stillbirth baby is one that is fully-formed, its organ systems functional, but it is dead when it is born. This means, it could’ve survived because its age is beyond 20 weeks, but it did not. This is different from a preterm baby, who is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. A preterm baby is born alive, and with the proper intervention, may have a good chance to survival. Related Articles
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