A prospective clinicopathological study of 1,108 cases of antenatal fetal death

A prospective clinicopathological study of antenatal fetal death (AFD) showed that in most cases multiple factors were involved and that in about 70% of the cases maternal diseases were responsible for AFD. The main causes of AFD appeared to be toxemia of pregnancy, various diabetic conditions of the mother (60% of the cases), and blood group incompatibility. Closer and more frequent supervision of pregnant women attending the antenatal clinics will enable earlier detection of maternal disease, and thus may be important in preventing AFD. A simplified oral glucose tolerance test for early detection of diabetes should be performed during pregnancy. In every case of AFD, the placenta and the fetus should be sent for pathological examination.