“A recent study described contemporary stillbirth rates in the US using a large national cohort of commercially insured pregnancies. Among the study’s findings, Figure 1 in the article is particularly instructive.”

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“This figure depicts the prospective fetal mortality rate by gestational age at delivery and the percentage of stillbirths at a given gestational week with at least 1 clinical risk factor.”

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“It clearly illustrates the rise in fetal mortality beginning at 39 weeks’ gestation, which is consistent with observations from large population-based cohorts.”

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“Notably, this figure shows that the risk of stillbirth is not limited to high-risk pregnancies and increases substantially near term, with approximately 40% of stillbirths occurring without any identifiable risk factor other than a gestational age of more than 39 weeks.”

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H.Madar, et al

Stillbirth Rates in the US

Journal Of The American Medical Association — volume 335 #13 — April 7, 2026 — page 1180