Stillbirth Research Program

Background

Stillbirth and recurrent pregnancy loss are devastating to families and loved ones. Approximately 24,000 stillbirths (defined as a baby at least 20 weeks gestational age without a heartbeat prior to birth) happen each year in the United States, with 275 of those occurring in Utah. It is estimated the cause of death in about half of all stillbirths are unknown. Despite the lack of answers and the overwhelming grief and impact a stillbirth has on a family, this area of research has remained largely understudied.

The University of Utah is committed to helping families cope with the loss of a baby, as well as researching causes and techniques to improve delivery outcomes. Our goal is to conduct quality research to better understand stillbirth, placental disorders, and early pregnancy loss, so we may create effective treatments and prevent future losses.

For Families & Our Community

Consults: Our experienced Maternal Fetal Medicine providers specialize in stillbirth and recurrent pregnancy loss. They offer consultations to review your obstetric history and provide complete workups that my offer insights into potential causes, tests you can undergo, and future recommendations. Please click here for more information. To schedule a Consult, call: 801-585-9522 or click here.

Research: In order to help us better understand the causes of stillbirth, fetal loss, and miscarriages, we offer several studies you may participate in. If you would like to see a summary of some of our current studies, or are interseted in participating, please click here. 

Education: To help educate and increase awareness about stillbirth and pregnancy loss, the University of Utah offers in-services and conferences to the local community and to healthcare providers. To stay current on these events, follow the University of Utah Woman's health Facebook (University of Utah Health Women’s Services) and Instagram (uofuhealthwomenservices), or click here. 

For Health Care Professionals

The University of Utah offers in-service trainings to health care providers for bereavement care, recurrent pregnancy loss, and stillbirth consultation resources. We also offer opportunities to collaborate in research. You can refer patients for a consult, or if you are interested in working with us on collaborative research, please contact us at: 801-587-0975.