Accounting for Infectious Causes of Stillbirth in the U.S.

Up to 20% of U.S. stillbirths are linked to maternal or fetal infection, yet the nature of the underlying pathogens remains poorly defined. In a multicenter cohort study of 512 stillbirths (defined as fetal death after 20 weeks' gestation or at delivery), 66 (13%) were characterized as infection related. The investigators sought to detail the specific causes using maternal serology, postmortem examination of the fetus and placenta, and tissue culture and polymerase chain reaction.

Compared with white women, non-Hispanic black women were twice as likely to have an infection-related stillbirth. The most common bacterial agents linked to stillbirth were Escherichia coli (19 cases), group B streptococcus (8), and enterococcus (8); multiple organ…