When the Fetus Goes Still and the Birth Is Tragic: The Role of the Placenta in Stillbirths

Because of the critical role that placental structure and function plays during pregnancy, abnormal placental structure and function is closely related to stillbirth: when an infant dies before birth. However, understanding the role of the placental and specific lesions is incomplete, in part because of the variation in definitions of lesions and in classifying causes of stillbirths. Nevertheless, placental abnormalities are seen more frequently in stillbirths than live births, with placental abruption, chorioamnionitis, and maternal vascular malperfusion most commonly reported. Critically, some placental lesions affect the management of subsequent pregnancies. Histopathological examination of the placenta is recommended following stillbirth.