A study, conducted by University of South Florida, brought an ironic fact into light which says that the women who have lost their newborn babies are at a greater risk of stillbirth in the next pregnancy. In other words, the women who have once given birth to a dead baby, or women whose baby died within first year of birth, are more likely to suffer from the same again. Stillbirth can be explained as death of fetus in the uterus after a period of 5 months due to natural reasons or reasons which cannot be controlled.

The research signifies that the women who have lost their baby within a year of the baby's birth are at a higher risk of giving birth to a still born baby the next time they conceive as compared to women who have given birth to a still born baby the previous time.

Dr. Hamisu Salihu, who worked on the study, said that the reasons for still births by women who have already lost a child are not yet known, but they are counseling few mothers in order to detect the exact reasons. He added that research have proved to be true in 50 to 60% of women.

Dr. Salihu said that some of the causes of still birth are obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes. He said that obesity and smoking are controllable factors and problems of high blood pressure & diabetes can be treated medically, if diagnosed on time, as these are the ailments which appear in pregnant women sometimes.

She advised that women, who have lost a newborn before planning for another pregnancy, should consult the doctor so that she could know and follow all the necessary guidelines to give birth to a healthy child. Also, such women should go for regular ultrasounds to ensure the health of the baby inside the womb.