India topped list of 10 countries that have highest number of stillbirths according to The Lancet

According to the Stillbirth series published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, India topped the list of 10 countries that have the highest number of stillbirths.

As high as 66 per cent (1.8 million) stillbirths in the world occur in just 10 countries namely- India followed by Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Bangladesh, Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Tanzania.

In India, the stillbirth rates varied from 20 to 66 per 1000 total births in different States. Almost half of all stillbirths, 1.2 million, happen when the woman is in labour. These deaths occur primarily due to lack of skilled care at this critical time for mothers and babies. Two-thirds of stillbirth occurs in rural areas, where skilled birth attendants, midwives and physicians in particular are not always available for essential care during childbirth and for obstetric emergencies, including Caesarean section.

About 2.6 million stillbirths occurred worldwide in 2009. As per Lancet more than 7200 babies are stillborn every day. 98 per cent of these occur in low and middle-income countries. These deaths occur mainly during the last trimester of pregnancy (after 28 weeks' gestation).

Approximately 1.2 million stillbirths occur during birth (intrapartum) and 1.4 million before birth (antepartum). Most intrapartum stillbirths are associated with obstetric emergencies (childbirth complications).

In high-income countries, obesity, smoking, and advanced maternal age are among the big risk factors that tends to result in stillbirths. Childbirth complications, maternal infections in pregnancy, maternal disorders, especially hypertension and diabetes, foetal growth restriction, and congenital abnormalities were named as the biggest reasons for stillbirths.

The overall number of stillbirths fell from an estimated 3.03 million in 1995 to 2.64 million in 2009.The global rate was reduced from 22 stillbirths per 1000 total births to 19.

Stillbirths had decreased by 1.1 per cent per year since 1995, lower than the 2.3 per cent annual reduction rate in child under-five mortality, and 2.5 per cent annual reduction in maternal mortality.