Is the disappearance of fetal heart rate a premonitory sign of stillbirth?

summary

In about half of the stillbirth cases, there are no signs of fetal problems during pregnancy, so most parents lose their fetus without realizing it. Generally, the fetus can be delivered naturally within two weeks after death, so there is no great risk for the health of the mother to choose to wait for natural delivery. Is the disappearance of fetal heart rate a premonitory sign of stillbirth? Next, I'd like to share my views with you.

Is the disappearance of fetal heart rate a premonitory sign of stillbirth?

Before stillbirth, pregnant women usually feel that fetal movement stops, weight does not increase or reduce, breast swelling disappears and gradually shrinks, and there may be general fatigue, loss of appetite, lower abdomen falling sensation, a small amount of vaginal bleeding and other symptoms.

During physical examination, it was found that the growth of uterus stopped, the size of uterus did not match the number of weeks of menopause, fetal heart rate and fetal movement were not detected. Ultrasound examination will find that fetal heart rate, fetal movement disappeared, fetal bleeding and umbilical cord blood flow stopped, which are signs of stillbirth.

If the fetus is not discharged 3 weeks after death, the degenerative placenta tissue releases thromboplastin into the maternal blood circulation and activates intravascular coagulation factors, which is easy to cause disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). More than 4 weeks after intrauterine fetal death, the incidence of DIC increases, which can cause severe hemorrhage during delivery.

matters needing attention

Avoid smoking and alcohol, control the intake of strong tea and coffee: expectant mothers who inhale or live and work in a smoky environment can lead to abortion, premature birth, fetal dysplasia, and even malformations, such as congenital heart disease, cleft lip, cleft palate, anencephaly, etc. The incidence of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy in smoking pregnant women was higher than that in non-smoking pregnant women. Smoking or passive smoking after pregnancy can delay the development of fetus, and also cause abortion, premature birth and stillbirth.