Unexplained Stillbirths: Understanding The Complexities

Authors

  • Omar Usmani
  • Kanika Chaudhary
  • Maryam Fatima
  • Saeeda Wasim
  • Shagufta Khan
  • Sharique Ahmad

Keywords:

Unexplained stillbirth, fetal growth restriction (FGR), Genetic mutations, Chromosomal microarray, maternal health

Abstract

Background: Stillbirth, intrauterine fetal death after 20 weeks of gestation, is a sad and under-recognised complication in obstetrics. Despite technological advancements, a significant proportion of stillbirths are "unexplained," which makes preventive measures impossible.

Objective: It presents a comprehensive overview of different causes of unexplained stillbirths and gives thought to prevailing gaps and possibilities of future investigation.

Methods: Systematic literature review on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar on published literature for the year 2010 through 2025. The key words were "unexplained stillbirth," "placental pathology," "genetic causes," and "immunologic factors." Peer-reviewed human research published in English language was used as the inclusion criteria. The exclusion criteria used were animal model studies, case reports, and non-peer-reviewed literature.

Results: The major findings emphasized the importance of established maternal, fetal, placental, genetic, and environmental determinants. Of the major challenges enumerated were the diagnostic limitations, heterogenous classification schemes, and the inappropriate use of advanced genetic techniques.

Conclusion: Multidisciplinary coordination, expanded utilization of molecular diagnostics, and standardization of postmortem protocols will be necessary to minimize unexplained rates and optimize maternal-fetal outcomes for unexplained stillbirth.

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Published

2025-05-16

How to Cite

1.
Usmani O, Chaudhary K, Fatima M, Wasim S, Khan S, Ahmad S. Unexplained Stillbirths: Understanding The Complexities. J Neonatal Surg [Internet]. 2025May16 [cited 2025Sep.17];14(24S):433-42. Available from: https://www.jneonatalsurg.com/index.php/jns/article/view/5961

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 24S (2025): Journal of Neonatal Surgery

Section

Original Article

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