New test developed to help understand stillbirth

A new research project has helped to develop a potential new means of pinpointing potential genetic causes of stillbirth in post-mortem examinations.

Research led by the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston has found that using microarray analysis to assess the chromosomes of stillborn babies is 40 percent more effective that the older karyotype testing procedure.

The established means of testing often fails to produce any results at all, meaning between 25 and 60 percent of stillbirths remain unexplained.

It is thought that this new method could unlock new areas of understanding in the maternal/foetal medicine field, while providing families with greater peace of mind as to why their babies died.

Dr George Saade, lead investigator of the UTMB arm of the study, said: "For doctors to be able to see more genetic information about each stillborn baby can only be a good thing in terms of continuing the fight to reduce stillbirths worldwide."

There are around 4,000 stillbirths every year in the UK, with one in every 200 pregnancies ending with the child dying within the womb.