If a new study is to be believed, the risk of stillbirth is about twice as high for women with Covid compared to those without. &nbsp;&nbsp;

When the Delta variant had become dominant, the risk of stillbirth had grown to about quadruple, a large US government study said on Friday. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-100-million-people-worldwide-have-suffered-from-long-covid-study-430694" hreflang="en">Nearly 100 million people worldwide have suffered from long Covid: Study</a>

Carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, the analysis was based on over 1.2 million deliveries, which were conducted between March 2020 and September 2021, from a large hospital database of the country. &nbsp;

Accounting for 0.65 per cent or 8,154 deliveries, stillbirths were highly rare overall. &nbsp;

After using statistical methods to account for the effect of other variables that might change the result, stillbirths were 1.47 times more common in Covid-positive mothers pre-Delta, 4.04 times higher after and 1.90 times higher overall.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-major-milestone-canada-approves-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-kids-aged-5-11-430640" hreflang="en">'A major milestone': Canada approves Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for kids aged 5-11</a>

The previous research indicated a potential biological cause for the increased risk that could be the result of inflammation or decreased blood flow to the placenta, wrote authors. &nbsp;

Among deliveries with Covid, conditions, such as heart injury, having more than one baby, life-threatening lung injury, sepsis, poor blood flow resulting in shock, separation of the placenta from the uterus, chronic high blood pressure and having to go on a ventilator or being admitted to ICU, were linked to higher rates of stillbirth. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

If a new study is to be believed, the risk of stillbirth is about twice as high for women with Covid compared to those without. When the Delta variant had become dominant, the risk of stillbirth had grown to about quadruple, a large US government study said on Friday.

If a new study is to be believed, the risk of stillbirth is about twice as high for women with Covid compared to those without. When the Delta variant had become dominant, the risk of stillbirth had grown to about quadruple, a large US government study said on Friday. Also Read: Nearly 100 million people worldwide have suffered from long Covid: Study Carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, the analysis was based on over 1.2 million deliveries, which were conducted between March 2020 and September 2021, from a large hospital database of the country. Accounting for 0.65 per cent or 8,154 deliveries, stillbirths were highly rare overall. After using statistical methods to account for the effect of other variables that might change the result, stillbirths were 1.47 times more common in Covid-positive mothers pre-Delta, 4.04 times higher after and 1.90 times higher overall. Also Read: 'A major milestone': Canada approves Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for kids aged 5-11 The previous research indicated a potential biological cause for the increased risk that could be the result of inflammation or decreased blood flow to the placenta, wrote authors. Among deliveries with Covid, conditions, such as heart injury, having more than one baby, life-threatening lung injury, sepsis, poor blood flow resulting in shock, separation of the placenta from the uterus, chronic high blood pressure and having to go on a ventilator or being admitted to ICU, were linked to higher rates of stillbirth. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19 ups risk of stillbirth by nearly twice, says study in US

A joint estimate has revealed that almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year. This comes to 1 stillborn baby every 16 seconds. The estimate has been made by Unicef, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank Group and population division of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. And now, there are fears that effects of coronavirus pandemic can worsen the situation.

“Losing a child at birth or during pregnancy is a devastating tragedy for a family, one that is often endured quietly, yet all too frequently, around the world,” Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director was quoted in a WHO release as saying.

“Every 16 seconds, a mother somewhere will suffer the unspeakable tragedy of stillbirth. Beyond the loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are severe and long-lasting. For many of these mothers, it simply didn’t have to be this way. A majority of stillbirths could have been prevented with high-quality monitoring, proper antenatal care and a skilled birth attendant,” she adds.

According to a new report 'A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths', 3 out of 4 stillbirths occurred in Africa or Southern Asia in 2019.

Coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on health services across the globe. Large resources in the healthcare sector have been re-allotted to tackle coronavirus. The report says that this may result in additional 200,000 stillbirths in 12-month&nbsp;period. It is feared that these stillbirths would occur in 117 low and middle-income countries.

Women in low and middle-income countries were more susceptible as there was higher likelihood of them not getting good quality healthcare facilities at the time of the delivery. 
&nbsp;

A joint estimate has revealed that almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year. This comes to 1 stillborn baby every 16 seconds. The estimate has been made by Unicef, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank Group and population division of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

A joint estimate has revealed that almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year. This comes to 1 stillborn baby every 16 seconds. The estimate has been made by Unicef, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank Group and population division of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. And now, there are fears that effects of coronavirus pandemic can worsen the situation. “Losing a child at birth or during pregnancy is a devastating tragedy for a family, one that is often endured quietly, yet all too frequently, around the world,” Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director was quoted in a WHO release as saying. “Every 16 seconds, a mother somewhere will suffer the unspeakable tragedy of stillbirth. Beyond the loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are severe and long-lasting. For many of these mothers, it simply didn’t have to be this way. A majority of stillbirths could have been prevented with high-quality monitoring, proper antenatal care and a skilled birth attendant,” she adds. According to a new report 'A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths', 3 out of 4 stillbirths occurred in Africa or Southern Asia in 2019. Coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on health services across the globe. Large resources in the healthcare sector have been re-allotted to tackle coronavirus. The report says that this may result in additional 200,000 stillbirths in 12-month period. It is feared that these stillbirths would occur in 117 low and middle-income countries. Women in low and middle-income countries were more susceptible as there was higher likelihood of them not getting good quality healthcare facilities at the time of the delivery.

One stillbirth every 16 seconds and this could get worse due to COVID-19 pandemic

By:&nbsp;Miranda Davies-Tuck,&nbsp;Euan Wallace and&nbsp;Mary-Ann Davey

Australian women born in South Asia are more likely to have a stillbirth than other women, perhaps due to a rapidly ageing placenta that cannot support the pregnancy, new research suggests.

Our study looked at 700,000 births in Victoria over more than a decade. We found women born in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh had a 1.5 increased chance of a stillbirth at the end of their pregnancy (known as a &ldquo;term stillbirth&rdquo;) compared with women born in Australia or New Zealand.

That&rsquo;s equivalent to 2.6 term stillbirths per 1,000 births for South Asian-born women compared with 1.5 per 1,000 births to women born in Australia and New Zealand.

This is an increased risk equivalent to smoking, advanced maternal age or obesity.

The risk of a term stillbirth increased earlier in pregnancy and rose more rapidly in women born in South Asia. Alarmingly, for South Asian-born women, the rate of stillbirths at 39 weeks&rsquo; gestation was almost equivalent to the rate in Australian- and New Zealand-born women at 41 weeks (when the chance of stillbirth would be higher than earlier in the pregnancy).

While other research has found the mother&rsquo;s ethnicity places a role in the risk of a stillbirth, this has largely been put down to factors related to migration and social disadvantage. What our research shows is women born in South Asia and giving birth in Australia are at increased risk even when other factors are taken into account.

This means we need to rethink how we monitor and manage the pregnancies of women born in South Asia, including redefining when some babies reach &ldquo;term&rdquo;.

Why this matters

About seven per 1,000 babies born each year in Australia are stillborn &ndash; when the fetus dies at or after 20 weeks&rsquo; gestation &ndash; a figure that has remained unchanged over the past two decades.

Advanced maternal age, maternal infections, non-communicable diseases (like pre-existing diabetes and high blood pressure), obesity and a prolonged pregnancy are known risk factors for stillbirth globally.

Not only can a woman&rsquo;s country of birth now be added to the list, our research suggests how we look after pregnant women of South Asian origin needs to change.

In another recent study, we found that at 41 weeks&rsquo; pregnancy, South Asian-born women experienced rates of fetal distress at almost four times the rate of Australian- and New Zealand-born mothers.

Current national and international guidelines recommend additional fetal monitoring and/or induction of labour for pregnancies that progress beyond 41 weeks due to the increased risks of stillbirth.

But for South Asian-born women this may be too late.

Why might this be happening?

There is growing evidence to suggest a mother&rsquo;s ethnicity influences how fast her placenta ages as her pregnancy progresses.

For some women, they can go into spontaneous labour sooner. In our study, we found South Asian-born women went into labour a median one week earlier than Australian- or New Zealand-born women.

However, for others, an ageing placenta cannot meet the fetus&rsquo; increasing metabolic needs at term and beyond. And this increases the risk of stillbirth.

We still don&rsquo;t know which individual woman will go down which path.

Can we spot ageing placentas?

Biological markers &ndash; caps on the ends of chromosomes or &ldquo;telomeres&rdquo; &ndash; can help us assess ageing. Each time a cell replicates, the caps on the chromosomes get shorter. So shorter telomeres are a sign of more rapid cellular ageing.

And the length of telomeres in placentas from pregnancies ending in stillbirth is two times shorter than those from live births. In other words, the placental cells had aged faster.

Some researchers have also studied ethnic differences in placental telomere length.

In an American study, placental telomeres from pregnancies in black women were significantly shorter than from pregnancies in white women (the ethnic backgrounds of the women were not further defined in the study).

Whether telomeres are shorter in placentas from pregnancies in South Asian-born women is unknown.

Does this matter?

We don&rsquo;t know the cause for up to one-quarter of all stillbirths in Australia. So, better understanding the role of placental ageing may help.

Our research is also relevant as migration from South Asian countries to Australia is growing. Almost one-third of people migrating to Australia are from South Asian countries. So, the number of women giving birth in Australia from these countries is also increasing. Now, Indian mothers make up almost 4% (roughly 12,000) of all women giving birth in Australia a year.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80074/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />It&rsquo;s time this was reflected in how we manage the pregnancies of women born in South Asia, particularly at the end of their pregnancies. We may have to more closely monitor their pregnancies and, if needed, recommend their labour be induced sooner than other women to reduce their chance of a stillbirth.

Miranda Davies-Tuck, Perinatal Epidemiologist and NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow, Hudson Institute; Euan Wallace, Chair Professor, Hudson Institute, and Mary-Ann Davey, Senior Research Fellow, Obstetrics &amp; Gynaecology, Monash University

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/being-south-asian-is-as-great-a-risk-factor-for-stillbirth-as-smoking-80074">original article</a>.

Mothers' ethnicity plays an important role in the birth of a healthy child

By: Miranda Davies-Tuck, Euan Wallace and Mary-Ann Davey Australian women born in South Asia are more likely to have a stillbirth than other women, perhaps due to a rapidly ageing placenta that cannot support the pregnancy, new research suggests. Our study looked at 700,000 births in Victoria over more than a decade. We found women born in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh had a 1.5 increased chance of a stillbirth at the end of their pregnancy (known as a “term stillbirth”) compared with women born in Australia or New Zealand. That’s equivalent to 2.6 term stillbirths per 1,000 births for South Asian-born women compared with 1.5 per 1,000 births to women born in Australia and New Zealand. This is an increased risk equivalent to smoking, advanced maternal age or obesity. The risk of a term stillbirth increased earlier in pregnancy and rose more rapidly in women born in South Asia. Alarmingly, for South Asian-born women, the rate of stillbirths at 39 weeks’ gestation was almost equivalent to the rate in Australian- and New Zealand-born women at 41 weeks (when the chance of stillbirth would be higher than earlier in the pregnancy). While other research has found the mother’s ethnicity places a role in the risk of a stillbirth, this has largely been put down to factors related to migration and social disadvantage. What our research shows is women born in South Asia and giving birth in Australia are at increased risk even when other factors are taken into account. This means we need to rethink how we monitor and manage the pregnancies of women born in South Asia, including redefining when some babies reach “term”. Why this matters About seven per 1,000 babies born each year in Australia are stillborn – when the fetus dies at or after 20 weeks’ gestation – a figure that has remained unchanged over the past two decades. Advanced maternal age, maternal infections, non-communicable diseases (like pre-existing diabetes and high blood pressure), obesity and a prolonged pregnancy are known risk factors for stillbirth globally. Not only can a woman’s country of birth now be added to the list, our research suggests how we look after pregnant women of South Asian origin needs to change. In another recent study, we found that at 41 weeks’ pregnancy, South Asian-born women experienced rates of fetal distress at almost four times the rate of Australian- and New Zealand-born mothers. Current national and international guidelines recommend additional fetal monitoring and/or induction of labour for pregnancies that progress beyond 41 weeks due to the increased risks of stillbirth. But for South Asian-born women this may be too late. Why might this be happening? There is growing evidence to suggest a mother’s ethnicity influences how fast her placenta ages as her pregnancy progresses. For some women, they can go into spontaneous labour sooner. In our study, we found South Asian-born women went into labour a median one week earlier than Australian- or New Zealand-born women. However, for others, an ageing placenta cannot meet the fetus’ increasing metabolic needs at term and beyond. And this increases the risk of stillbirth. We still don’t know which individual woman will go down which path. Can we spot ageing placentas? Biological markers – caps on the ends of chromosomes or “telomeres” – can help us assess ageing. Each time a cell replicates, the caps on the chromosomes get shorter. So shorter telomeres are a sign of more rapid cellular ageing. And the length of telomeres in placentas from pregnancies ending in stillbirth is two times shorter than those from live births. In other words, the placental cells had aged faster. Some researchers have also studied ethnic differences in placental telomere length. In an American study, placental telomeres from pregnancies in black women were significantly shorter than from pregnancies in white women (the ethnic backgrounds of the women were not further defined in the study). Whether telomeres are shorter in placentas from pregnancies in South Asian-born women is unknown. Does this matter? We don’t know the cause for up to one-quarter of all stillbirths in Australia. So, better understanding the role of placental ageing may help. Our research is also relevant as migration from South Asian countries to Australia is growing. Almost one-third of people migrating to Australia are from South Asian countries. So, the number of women giving birth in Australia from these countries is also increasing. Now, Indian mothers make up almost 4% (roughly 12,000) of all women giving birth in Australia a year. It’s time this was reflected in how we manage the pregnancies of women born in South Asia, particularly at the end of their pregnancies. We may have to more closely monitor their pregnancies and, if needed, recommend their labour be induced sooner than other women to reduce their chance of a stillbirth. Miranda Davies-Tuck, Perinatal Epidemiologist and NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow, Hudson Institute; Euan Wallace, Chair Professor, Hudson Institute, and Mary-Ann Davey, Senior Research Fellow, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Monash University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

South Asian women are at a higher risk of giving birth to stillborn babies

London, May 28 (IANS) Would-be mothers please take note! Prenatal exposure to harmful air-borne pollutants can likely increase the risk of stillbirth during the pregnancy`s third trimester, finds a new study based on `suggestive evidence.` 
 
 
According to the researchers, nearly 2.6 million children worldwide were stillborn at 28 weeks or more in 2015, with the wide geographical variation in prevalence suggesting that most of these deaths were preventable. 
 
&quot;Stillbirth is one of the most neglected tragedies in global health today,&quot; said Marie Pedersen from University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZikaVirus?src=hash">#ZikaVirus</a> <a href="https://t.co/dXLSk0wBCx">https://t.co/dXLSk0wBCx</a>
&mdash; dna (@dna) <a href="https://twitter.com/dna/status/736460787665883137">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
The findings showed that specifically, a 4 microgram per cubic meter (&micro;g/m3) increase in exposure to small particulate matter of less than 2.5 in diameter (PM2.5) was associated with a 2 percent increased risk of stillbirth. 
 
Further, particles less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone also showed to increase stillbirth risks. 
 
&quot;The existing evidence is suggestive of causality for air pollution and stillbirth without precise identification of the timing of exposure,&quot; Pedersen added. 
 
For the study, published online in Occupational &amp; Environmental Medicine, the reviewed 13 studies, which found an association between exposure to air pollution -- particularly during the third term of pregnancy -- and a heightened risk of stillbirth. 
 
&quot;With the limited studies on the relevant topic, our review suggests strong priorities for future research. If the evidence of an association between ambient air population and stillbirth is confirmed in future studies, it would be of major public health importance,&quot; Pedersen noted. 
 
--IANS

Would-be mothers please take note! Prenatal exposure to harmful air-borne pollutants can likely increase the risk of stillbirth during the pregnancy`s third trimester, finds a new study based on `suggestive evidence

London, May 28 (IANS) Would-be mothers please take note! Prenatal exposure to harmful air-borne pollutants can likely increase the risk of stillbirth during the pregnancy`s third trimester, finds a new study based on `suggestive evidence.` According to the researchers, nearly 2.6 million children worldwide were stillborn at 28 weeks or more in 2015, with the wide geographical variation in prevalence suggesting that most of these deaths were preventable. "Stillbirth is one of the most neglected tragedies in global health today," said Marie Pedersen from University of Copenhagen in Denmark. WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus https://t.co/dXLSk0wBCx — dna (@dna) May 28, 2016 The findings showed that specifically, a 4 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase in exposure to small particulate matter of less than 2.5 in diameter (PM2.5) was associated with a 2 percent increased risk of stillbirth. Further, particles less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone also showed to increase stillbirth risks. "The existing evidence is suggestive of causality for air pollution and stillbirth without precise identification of the timing of exposure," Pedersen added. For the study, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, the reviewed 13 studies, which found an association between exposure to air pollution -- particularly during the third term of pregnancy -- and a heightened risk of stillbirth. "With the limited studies on the relevant topic, our review suggests strong priorities for future research. If the evidence of an association between ambient air population and stillbirth is confirmed in future studies, it would be of major public health importance," Pedersen noted. --IANS

Air pollution may up stillbirth risk during third trimester

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