A sad rate has increased in Germany over the past year: that of children who are stillborn. 3247 children were stillborn last year. As the Federal Statistical Office announced on Thursday, there were 173 stillbirths, 5 percent fewer than in the previous year. Since the number of children born alive fell by 7 percent compared to the previous year and thus fell more sharply than the number of stillbirths, the so-called stillbirth rate – the relative number of stillbirths per 1000 births – rose from 4.3 to 4.4. According to the information, the stillbirth rate in Germany has tended to increase since 2010.
The reasons for this have not yet been explored in detail. However, the risk is increased in older pregnant women. In addition, the rate of stillbirths among women with a migration background was higher than among those with German nationality. However, that alone cannot explain the increase, since the rate has increased for both Germans and women with a migration background and in all age groups.
In Germany, children are considered to be stillborn if there was no heartbeat or a pulsating umbilical cord during or after birth and for whom natural lung respiration outside the womb does not start. Since 2018, to be recorded as a stillbirth, the child must either have weighed at least 500 grams at birth or have reached the 24th week of pregnancy. Otherwise, according to the Federal Office, from a legal point of view it is a miscarriage that is not recorded in the civil status register.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, the concept of stillbirths should not be confused with “star children” with a birth weight of less than 500 grams. In 2013, following a petition from an affected couple, there was a change in the Personal Status Act for them. This means that they can be registered at the registry office regardless of their birth weight and given an official first name and buried.
