An investigation of risk factors associated with stillbirths and their possible contribution to dysregulation of inflammatory responses to infections that could trigger the physiological responses leading to fetal loss.

Brief

An investigation into the role of infection and inflammation in stillbirths.
Background

There have been suggestions that stillbirths are part of the spectrum of infant deaths associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) based on epidemiological parallels. Some of the reported parallels included: ethnic background; maternal smoking; small for gestational age infants; evidence of infection/inflammation in mother and/or fetus. Infections have been implicated in the etiology of stillbirths in both developing and industrialized countries.
Key takeaways

There is evidence from a variety of sources to suggest infection and inflammation might play a role in fetal deaths. As a variety of micro-organisms has been identified in studies of stillbirths, the common thread is most likely the effects of the inflammatory responses to infection.
Key contributors

Professor C.C. Blackwell

Professor Ian Symonds

Professor Andrew Carlin
Full report

Read the full report here.
Funding amount

$25,000

The Role of Infection and Inflammation in Stillbirths