Stillbirth Statistics
- According to the March of Dimes, “when fetal death occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it is called stillbirth. These tragic deaths occur in about 1 in 160 pregnancies.” (1)
- Stillbirths impact more than 25,000 families in the United States each year. (2)
- “Almost 50 percent of these deaths occur at or near full term and often seem to be otherwise healthy babies” (3)
- “The majority of stillbirths (85%) occur before delivery with 15% occurring during labor and delivery.”(3)
- “Stillbirth deaths cut across all socio-economic classes, races, religions and maternal age groups. No woman is immune.” (3)
- “Mothers who suffer a stillbirth do not receive recognition in 25 out of 50 states. There is no certificate of birth – making these births “invisible.”” (3)
Funeral Statistics
- Median cost of a funeral with vault (which is typically required by cemeteries) is $8,343. (4)
(1) March of Dimes – http://www.marchofdimes.org/loss/stillbirth.aspx – July 9, 2015
(2) American Pregnancy Association – http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-loss/stillborn-surviving-emotionally/ – July 9, 2015
(3) First Candle – http://www.firstcandle.com (Grieving Families -> Facts Sheet) – July 9, 2015
(4) National Funeral Directors Association – http://nfda.org/about-funeral-service-/trends-and-statistics.html – July 9, 2015