"Too much, too late": data on stillbirths to improve interpretation of caesarean section rates

Babies born from 28 weeks gestation onward have a considerable chance of survival. The World Health Organization defines the death of a fetus beyond this gestational age and before birth as a stillbirth. Like many deaths that are largely preventable, the 2 million stillbirths occurring worldwide every year are inequitably distributed. Lowand middle-income countries carry the largest burden, accounting for up to 98% of stillbirths. Of the estimated 1 966 000 stillbirths per year worldwide, only 38 000 occur in high-income countries. In the past decade, awareness of the high burden of stillbirths has increased, as the global health community has highlighted their impact on the lives of affected parents and communities.