ReviewThe journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians2009
Stillbirth in developing countries: a review of causes, risk factors and prevention strategies.
Review in The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 109 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
109 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 245 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of maternal education on maternal and perinatal outcomes: An individual participant data meta-analysis of 2 356 402 pregnancies.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Pooled it
- Risk factors for postpartum maternal mortality and hospital readmission in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Pooled it
- Antenatal interventions for preventing stillbirth, fetal loss and perinatal death: an overview of Cochrane systematic reviews.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Cause of and factors associated with stillbirth: a systematic review of classification systems.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2017Pooled it
- Caesarean delivery and subsequent stillbirth or miscarriage: systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2013Pooled it
- Delivering interventions to reduce the global burden of stillbirths: improving service supply and community demand.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2009Pooled it
- Reducing stillbirths: prevention and management of medical disorders and infections during pregnancy.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2009Pooled it
- The Maternal and Newborn Health Registry Study of the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2012Trial
- Maternal and Foetal Risk Factors for Stillbirth: A Retrospective Case-Control Study at Al-Buraimi Hospital, Oman.Cureus · 2026Article
- National, state and district-level estimates of stillbirth in India at 20 weeks' gestation or longer using national family health survey data (2005-21).The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2026Article
- Stillbirths in Colombia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis by geographic location and health insurance.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Maternal metabolic health conditions and risk of stillbirth in India: evidence from a nationwide survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Determinants of attendance in antenatal care clinics in rural settings in Mali and Burkina Faso: a cross-sectional study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Unclean cooking fuel use and stillbirth in Ghana: evidence from the 2022 DHS.Frontiers in global women's health · 2025Article
- Review
- Pregnancy loss and its predictors among ever-pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multilevel mixed effect negative binomial regression.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Prevention of Pregnancy Complications Using a Multimodal Lifestyle, Screening, and Medical Model.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Stillbirth rate and associated factors at the Bamenda Regional hospital, North-West region, Cameroon, from 2018 to 2022: a case control study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Determinants of stillbirth among mothers who gave birth at Bishoftu General Hospital, Ethiopia: using a Bayesian logistic regression model.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Article
49 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo understand the rates, causes and risk factors for stillbirth in developing countries as well as the strategies that have been evaluated to reduce stillbirth.
methodsWe searched the English literature for 2003-2008 for all articles related to stillbirth and perinatal mortality in developing countries and reviewed all related publications.
resultsDespite the large number of stillbirths worldwide, the topic of stillbirths in developing countries has received very little research, programmatic or policy attention. In many developing countries, almost half of the deliveries occur at home, and under-reporting of stillbirths is a significant problem. Reliable data about rates and causes are unavailable in many areas of the world. Nevertheless, of the estimated 3.2 million stillbirths that occur yearly world-wide, the vast majority occur in developing countries. Rates in many developing countries are 10-fold greater or more than in developed countries. There is not a standard international classification system that defines cause of death, nor is there agreement about the lower limits of birthweight or gestational age that define stillbirth, making comparisons of causes of stillbirth or rates over time or between sites problematic. From available data, prolonged and obstructed labour, pre-eclampsia and various infections, all without adequate treatment, appear to account for the majority of stillbirths in developing countries. Identification and treatment of maternal syphilis has been effective in reducing stillbirth risk, as has improvements in access to emergency obstetrical services and particularly caesarean section.
conclusionsFurther research is needed to understand the causes and the best preventive strategies for stillbirth specific to geographic areas. However, based on current data, better access to appropriate obstetric care, particularly during labour and delivery and better screening and treatment of syphilis should reduce developing country stillbirth rates dramatically.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.