When your baby dies, it can feel very important to understand why. Sometimes the cause of death is clearly related to a medical condition in the mother or baby. For many babies the cause is not clear straight away and investigations can help to understand what happened. Sadly, in many cases, even after full investigations the cause of death may remain unclear. This is because there is still a lot that we don’t understand about why many babies die.
Parents of babies who have died may not have answers from medical staff before or immediately after their baby is born. This is because most baby deaths are unexpected and there needs to be an investigation into what was happening in the baby or the mother’s body that caused the baby to die.
Some parents are keen to know why their baby has died. Others may feel unsure or worried about this in case it exposes medical problems that could affect other pregnancies. Not all baby deaths are understood and more research is needed to understand why babies die. There are, however, two possible investigations that might provide some answers. The first is a post-mortem; the second is a review of care.
It can sometimes be clear that a baby died because of direct harm to the baby or its mother, or because of something that happened during pregnancy. Women who are victims of abuse and have become pregnant in this context are more likely to experience injuries that can cause a baby to die. If you are a victim of abuse and need support, please contact www.womensaid.org.uk.
While doctors may not find all the answers about why your baby died, you should be able to discuss what happened and ask any questions you may have once the results of any investigations are shared with you.