S ince Jeremiah's death, we have done much investigation into umblical cord accidents and have found some compelling research which sheds light on this silent killer.  I was told that what happened to us is very rare.  However,  I have discovered a different story.  At least 109 babies are stillborn each day in the United States alone; that is over 40,000 babies each year.  This is a world-wide issue that transcends race, religion, and  economic status.  Unfortunately, I have learned that many healthcare providers are unaware of the proactive measures that can be taken to prevent cord related stillbirths.  If you are pregnant or know someone who is pregnant, please take the time to read some of this information.  It could save your baby's life.  We cannot turn back time, but we can share what we have learned in the hopes of helping someone else. 

T he research that we have discovered was conducted by Dr. Jason Collins of the Pregnancy Institute.  http://www.preginst.com/    He is an OB who has been in practice for more than 25 years and has devoted close to 20 years to the research of stilbirth.  He has completed a study of 1000 cases of stillbirth.  30% of all pregnancies have some sort of cord issue.  In his research he has found that  a vast number of cord related stillbirths can be prevented with proper monitoring during pregnancy which includes ultrasound, fetal heart rate monitoring, and being aware of any changes in your baby's activity.  He has also noted that an increased incidence of hiccups (more than 3 to 4 fifteen  minute sessions of hiccups in a day) could indicate a problem with the cord.  Jeremiah had lots of hiccups in the last couple of weeks he was alive.  I never knew it could be an indicator of trouble.   Dr. Collins has also discovered through his research that cord issues many times repeat in subsequent pregnancies, thus requiring specific prenatal care to prevent a stillbirth. 

D r. Collins has written a book online called Silent Risk  which is a result of his research  http://www.preginst.com/silentrisk.pdf.    (It is a 116 page PDF file that requires Acrobat Reader in order to download it.)  He also has a fetal home monitoring program through his Umbilical Cord Project where he monitors mothers of previous stillbirths in subsequent pregnancies from their homes during the night hours, which his research has shown as the highest risk time for babies with cord issues.

W e have also discovered a wonderful organization called Missing Grace headed up by a couple who also lost a baby due to a cord issue.  This site is a fantastic source of information from grief and bereavement resources to prevention and education of cord related stillbirths.  They work closely with Dr. Collins in order to further educate moms and their doctors.  They have a DVD available called The Silent Risk Educational DVD  http://www.missinggrace.org/ 

S pecifically of interest on the Missing Grace  website is a
Top 10 Checklist for Prenatal Care: http://www.missinggrace.org/indexprevention.html