A study has revealed that virtually no progress has been made in determining the causes of stillbirth over the last 40 years, prompting experts to call for additional funding.
Professor Gordon Smith of Cambridge University conducted a literature review on existing research into the placenta, which is thought to be a likely factor influencing stillbirth deaths.
Stillbirth, which involves foetal death during pregnancy at or after 22 weeks of gestation, occurs in one in 200 pregnancies, making it the most common cause of death in potentially viable babies.
Professor Smith's review points out that low-risk women are screened simply by measuring the height of the uterus with a tape measure.
Writing in the Lancet, he suggested: 'Addressing the lack of funding in these areas will be an essential first step to reducing the burden on this devastating and surprisingly common complication of pregnancy.'
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