I have been trying to do some research, and what I am finding so surprising is how little research there seems to be.It seems as if, unless there's an obvious cord accident or congenital defect, doctors just shrug and say, "Half the time we can't tell what causes this. Causes unknown".
I'm kind of driving myself nuts here, trying to figure out if it was something I did. Was it the bologna sandwich I ate? The bronchial infection I had but wasn't really treating because I didn't want to expose the baby to anything. But then, I had that cup of Gypsy Cold Care tea..could that have done it.
It's really frustrating,knowing we will probably never have an answer, but I'd like to eventually have a theory.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
It has to be so difficult, the not knowing. Please remember that it was nothing you did, okay?
In a way (and definately not to compare) I sort of know how you feel. When my daughter began having seizures at 13 months, I drove myself crazy trying to figure out why - and the first thing I did was wonder if it was something that I had exposed her to while pregnant. Most cases of epilepsy have no known origin, and that was very tough to accept. It took me a long time, and a lot of tears. I think when anything happens to our children our first instinct is to blame ourselves, even though we rationally know we didn't cause it.
I hope you find the answers you're seeking, dpr, and I will definately send any research I see your way. Big hugs to you and yours.
space opera
Posted by Dread Pendragon (Member # 7239) on :
Wow, DPR, I'm sure that has been very painful for you. More than I can imagine. Have you been able to talk to anyone that has had a similar experience? A neigbor couple that my wife and I lived by in college had a still birth baby. We talked about it with them at the time. My heart breaks for you.
I suspect anyone in your situation would be asking the same questions. Trauma isn't just about having a bad thing happen, it is about having something bad happen and not being able to do anything about it, which sounds like is how you feel. I wish I knew enough about it to offer something helpful.
Posted by Lady Jane (Member # 7249) on :
There was an article on Slate on this exact topic recently - let me see if I can find it for you.
I do this, too - when something tragic happens, my first instinct is to get to know everything that could possibly be written on the subject, so I can understand what happened.
[ March 14, 2005, 07:34 PM: Message edited by: Lady Jane ]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I'm so sorry that this happened, and I hope you find the answers you need. (((hugs)))
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
((((DPR))))
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
Oh, dpr, I've been there. I wanted to punch the ER doc who told me that "these things happen and sometimes there's no way to tell why they did." I'd tell you not to do this to yourself, but I know how frustrating and awful it is not to have answers.
If I find any research, I'll send it along. In the meantime, you're in my prayers.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Yeah. Not only has there been very little research done, there isn't much going on either.
On another note, The March of Dimes has a package of bereavement materials they send to families who have experienced the loss of an infant. All you have to do is go on the website and request them.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
My friend told me of a statistic she read...that women with poor gum health will be more prone to miscarriages/stillbirths.
An odd correlation... maybe something to do with similar tissues in the womb? Don’t have a link… I’ll try and find one.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Telperion, that's interesting. I wonder if it has anything to do with dental plaque being associated with a higher risk of heart disease? Then I went to the Mayo Clinic website, and found this:
quote:Plaque as cause of common conditions? Long-term gum infection can eventually result in the loss of your teeth. But the consequences may not end there. Recent research suggests that there may be an association between oral infections — primarily gum infections — and poorly controlled diabetes, cardiovascular disease and preterm birth. More research is needed to determine whether oral infections actually cause these conditions, which include:
* Poorly controlled diabetes. If you have diabetes, you're already at increased risk of developing gum disease. But chronic gum disease may, in fact, make diabetes more difficult to control, as well. Infection may cause insulin resistance, which disrupts blood sugar control. * Cardiovascular disease. Oral inflammation due to bacteria (gingivitis) may also play a role in clogged arteries and blood clots. It appears that bacteria in the mouth may cause inflammation throughout the body, including the arteries. This inflammation may serve as a base for development of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries, possibly increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Some research suggests that people with gum infections are also at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The more severe the infection, the greater the risk appears to be. And gum disease and tooth loss may contribute to plaques in the carotid artery. In one study, 46 percent of participants who'd lost up to nine teeth had carotid artery plaque; among those who'd lost 10 or more teeth, 60 percent of them had such plaque. * Preterm birth. Severe gum disease may increase the risk of preterm delivery and giving birth to a low birth weight baby. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, in fact, estimates that as many as 18 percent of preterm, low birth weight babies born in the United States each year may be attributed to oral infections.
The theory is that oral bacteria release toxins, which reach the placenta through the mother's bloodstream and interfere with the growth and development of the fetus. At the same time, the oral infection causes the mother to produce labor-triggering substances too quickly, potentially triggering premature labor and birth.
DPR, I hope you find peace and comfort. I'm sorry for your loss.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
romany, I know some of this information might help you avoid another stillbirth, but don't obsess about this too much, okay? It might have been something completely out of your control, and even if it wasn't, I'm sure you did your best to be a good mother. ((romany))
Posted by mimsies (Member # 7418) on :
*(((((HUG))))))*
I know we haven't met (I'm Mimi).
I am so sorry for your loss...
It is hard not to agonize over choices and decisions when someting goes terribly wrong. It is difficult not to feel guilty. It is torturous not knowing the answers.
I am sorry for all of your pain. I wish i could take it away, or even lessen it. I'm sorry.
-mimi
Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
(((((((((((romany))))))))))))) Honey, it's not your fault at all. Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
(((Romany))) Oh, sweetie, it's not your fault at all. It must be horrible to live though this and not knowing why, of course, but you're not responsible for the death of your baby. Posted by skeptic (Member # 5273) on :
My condolences on the death of your child. I know nothing anyone says can fix it and can't even imagine the pain you are in. I do understand the need to know. I've been researching this a bit. Can you give me more information: --how long had you been pregnant? --you alluded to bronchitis. When did you first notice symptoms? Aside from the cold care tea, did you take any other medications? Other personal info, which might help you decide, but which I am not going to ask: your age, general fitness, previous loss of fetus or trauma (like somebody hit you). Risk goes up the older your are, less fit, and trauma is obvious.
My understanding is that the majority of fertilization events end in spontaneous abortion. Most of these occur before the mother even knows she is pregnant. Most of these are due to mutations or other genetic errors. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to detect these problems before they occur and no way to treat them if they could be detected.
Please take care of yourself mentally and physically.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
dpr, you are still in my thoughts. (((romanylass)))
I've bemoaned this very trend before many times -- why aren't we studying more thoroughly what the causes are for stillbirth and miscarriage? I don't know the answer.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
how long had you been pregnant? 33 weeks
--you alluded to bronchitis. When did you first notice symptoms? About two weeks before giving birth
Aside from the cold care tea, did you take any other medications? OTC Tylenol, as directed by my midwife. Other personal info, which might help you decide, but which I am not going to ask:
your age,32 general fitness,good-walk at least mile a day, eat healthy, whole grain organics about 95% of the time previous loss of fetus miscarriages at ages 19 and 23, early
or trauma (like somebody hit you). No
Of all the possible causes, I am positive it's not the gums because I make sure to see the dentist twice during my pregnancies, for that very reason.
My midwife said, and I read a reference to this in another book, that some cases are believed to be "SIDS in-utero", but i have not seen any hard research on that.
Edit: All the lab results are back and they found nothing unusual with the cord and placenta. My blood tests revealed no infections that could have caused the baby's death. Repeated phone calls with my MW assure me it wasn't the Tylenol, tea, or anything else.
I googled "Sudden Fetal Death" and came up with some matches. I don't uderstand most of it.
This:
quote:Pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and of sudden perinatal death, including intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD), seems to privilege, in most cases, an autonomic nervous system dysfunction in the control of cardiocirculatory and/or respiratory activity. Neurogenic factors are interplaying in all the driving pathogenetic hypotheses (the cardiac- arrhythmogenic, the respiratory-apnea and/or suffucation, and the visceral dyskinetic). Also the conduction system is subject to strict autonomic control.
would seem to say to me that in our case (which would be classified SIUD), whatever caused Brian's death was possibly a neurological defect and if he hadn't died before bith, it's quite possible he would have died after. Thoughts?
quote: 3) Previous studies have suggested similarities between unexplained stillbirth and SIDS with respect to clinical and pathological findings, suggesting that the two conditions may be related.(4,5)
[ April 02, 2005, 05:47 PM: Message edited by: dread pirate romany ]
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
bump, forgot editing my last post wouldn't move it.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I saw a book in the library today, Coming to Term: Uncovering the Truth About Miscarriage, by Jon Cohen, which I couldn't quite bring myself to check out yet, but which looks like it might have some information you could use.
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
Romany, I've never heard of the idea that SIDS and SIUD might bear similarity. I suppose it could be true. Now if only we knew why SIDS happens. Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
bev, I hadn't either until it happened to us.
I really would like to know why to. There are a few more controllable factors for SIDS than SIUD ( the one shared controllable factor seems to be smoking-heck, I wouldn't even eat someplace with a smoking section!)..but it still keeps happening to parents who "do everything right".
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Uncovering the Truth about Miscarriage??????
About the only truth we know is that we're profoundly ignorant about how a fertilized egg makes the transition to become a fully functioning human being. Oh we know tiny unconnected bits and pieces, certain environmental factors which decrease or increase the likelyhood of survival, etc. But likelyhood isn't the same as a guarantee. But what we do know is nothing even vaguely resembling a comprehensive picture
With a title like that, I wouldn't hold much hope for the book being much beyond misleading fast-talking mumbo jumbo. I've been surprised before when a book far exceeded my expectations derived from a dreadful title. But they were truly unexpected surprises. Not something that happens often enough to just shrug off.
[ April 02, 2005, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
The book is written by an investigative reporter who has suffered through four miscarriages with his wife. He was completely blown away by the lack of information given to those who go through miscarriage and stillbirth, and the lack of information out there. So he did his own research, finding out as much as he can.
It actually looks good, it's just too soon for me to read it right now.
Edit: And I'm guessing he didn't pick the title on his own. Just a guess, but it does seem a little presumptuous, and having gone through it with his wife himself, I don't think he'd choose that title on his own.
[ April 02, 2005, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: ketchupqueen ]
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
kq, I'll see if the library has that. There is a lot on the emotional aftermath of pregnancy loss but not enough research.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
It has to be so difficult, the not knowing. Please remember that it was nothing you did, okay? ![[Group Hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)