Abstract

SEPULVEDA, Janer  and  QUINTERO, Eliana Maribel. Unexplained fetal death. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2004, vol.55, n.4, pp.300-307. ISSN 0034-7434.

Reports in the literature demonstrate that the percentage of unexplained fetal death occurs from 21 to 50%. Unexplained fetal death is defined as the demise of the fetus occurring at gestational age beyond 20 weeks or fetal weight of more than 500 g, with a thorough autopsy of the fetus and histology examination of the umbilical cord, placenta, and membranes, fails to demonstrate the cause of death. The following factors are associated with unexplained fetal death, maternal age beyond 35 years, overweight, ten years or less in a school, smoking, low socioeconomic status class and others. Fetal deaths are related to maternal medical disease, thrombophilia, umbilical cord accidents, cytogenetics, metabolic and congenital infections. The following is a review of the main aspects of unexplained fetal death.

Keywords : unexplained fetal death; stillbirth; fetal loss; risk factors; maternal disease; thrombophilia; umbilical cord; congenital infections.

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