Health 3247 children in 2022
The stillbirth rate in Germany continues to increase
Status: 08.08.2023 | Reading time: 2 minutes
To be recorded as a stillbirth, the weight must be at least 500 grams or the 24th week of pregnancy must have been reached
Quelle: picture alliance/imageBROKER/Judith Thomandl
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A stillbirth is the death of the fetus after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. In contrast to “star children”, various causes can lead to a child dying in the womb – and then having to be born.
Last year, 3,247 children were stillborn in Germany. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, these were 173 stillbirths or 5 percent fewer than in the previous year. Since the number of children born alive fell by 7 percent compared to the previous year and thus fell more sharply than the number of stillbirths, the so-called stillbirth rate – the relative number of stillbirths per 1000 births – rose from 4.3 to 4.4. According to the information, the stillbirth rate in Germany has tended to increase since 2010.
A stillbirth is defined as the death of the fetus after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. In Germany, children are considered to be stillborn if there was no heartbeat or a pulsating umbilical cord during or after birth and for whom natural lung respiration outside the womb does not start.
There can be various causes for a stillbirth: Disturbances of the placenta that have led to the child no longer being adequately cared for. Circulatory problems may occur, or the placenta detaches prematurely from the uterine wall.
Do not confuse stillbirth with “star children”.
Since 2018, to be recorded as a stillbirth, the child must either have weighed at least 500 grams at birth or have reached the 24th week of pregnancy. Otherwise, according to the Federal Office, from a legal point of view it is a miscarriage that is not recorded in the civil status register.
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But a caesarean section cannot always be performed, even if it can be less psychologically stressful for the mother: it often entails a higher risk for the woman than a natural birth. The possible consequences for a new pregnancy and childbirth should not be underestimated either
According to the Federal Statistical Office, the concept of stillbirths should not be confused with “star children” with a birth weight of less than 500 grams. In 2013, following a petition from an affected couple, there was a change in the Personal Status Act for them. This means that they can be registered at the registry office regardless of their birth weight and given an official first name and buried.
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