[Stillbirth: historical aspects and current state of the problem]

The world literature data characterizing the problem of stillbirth are summarized and systematized in this article. We studied scientific publications of the first half of the 20th century discussing issues that are still relevant today: the feasibility of creating a unified system for consideration of the stillbirth criteria, the importance of managing pregnant women in the antenatal period, the need for comprehensive training of doctors in order to prevent stillbirth. Attention has been focused on the features of performing forensic and coroner's autopsies of fetuses and deceased newborns. The current state of the problem of stillbirth has been considered. The importance of using theoretical knowledge in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, pathological anatomy for the purposes of forensic medical practice has been noted.