WGK Personal Injury Lawyers | November 21, 2025 | Personal Injury
Intrauterine fetal demise refers to the tragic loss of a baby in the womb and is the clinical term used when a stillbirth occurs. It isn’t a disease by itself—rather, it’s the result of another underlying issue affecting the mother or fetus. Serious medical complications, infections, injuries, or untreated conditions can all play a role.
Experiencing this kind of loss can leave parents facing overwhelming physical, emotional, and psychological pain. When the death could have been prevented, families may also have legal options. If a medical provider or another party’s negligence contributed to the loss, the parents may be entitled to pursue a claim and seek accountability.
What Is Intrauterine Fetal Demise?
For an intrauterine fetal demise diagnosis to be made, the following conditions must be present:
- The fetus is 20 weeks or older.
- The fetus has died.
- The cervix is closed, and the fetus remains in the uterus.
The 20-week line is important for a diagnosis. Before the fetus reaches 20 weeks, this condition is called a miscarriage or spontaneous abortion. At 20 weeks or later, the diagnosis of intrauterine fetal demise, also referred to as a stillbirth, occurs.
What Are Some Common Causes of Intrauterine Fetal Demise?
Many causes could create the conditions that result in fetal death.
The following are some of the most common causes:
Maternal Diabetes
High blood sugar can cause the fetus to develop abnormally. As a result, it is small and has underdeveloped organs. Alternatively, the fetus’s pancreas may produce extra insulin in response to the mother’s diabetes, leading the fetus to develop abnormally large. In either case, the stress on the fetus and the malfunctioning of its organs can cause fetal death.
Maternal Hypertension
High blood pressure can also affect the fetus. Maternal disorders such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension can reduce blood flow to the placenta. The fetus does not receive the necessary nutrients to develop normally. As a result, it may be underweight and underdeveloped, leading to intrauterine fetal demise.
Congenital Defects
Congenital defects, particularly chromosomal abnormalities, can cause a broad range of developmental disorders that lead to death. Some genetic conditions often found after intrauterine fetal demise include Down syndrome, Edward syndrome, and Patau syndrome. When a fetus has congenital defects, it develops abnormally and may die before birth.
Injury
Many maternal injuries can lead to intrauterine fetal demise. A penetrating injury, such as a gunshot or knife wound from a deliberate assault, can cause maternal blood loss. Without blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients, the fetus can die.
Internal bleeding can also cause Intrauterine fetal demise. For example, a pelvic fracture from a slip and fall accident can lead to internal injuries that deprive the placenta of blood. Shock can also cause the mother’s organs to shut down, endangering the fetus.
A blow to the abdomen can cause placental abruption. This condition happens when the placenta is forcibly torn from the uterine wall. Since blood is supplied to the fetus through the uterine wall, this injury deprives the fetus of oxygen and causes death. Motor vehicle accidents can cause this injury.
What Are Some Common Symptoms of Intrauterine Fetal Demise?
A mother may experience symptoms, including fever, abdominal cramps, and vaginal bleeding. However, many cases involve very few maternal symptoms. In these cases, the mother may only notice a lack of fetal movement before contacting her doctor.
Intrauterine fetal demise is diagnosed using ultrasound imaging. The physician will search for a fetal heartbeat to determine whether the fetus has died.
Since the fetus remains in the uterus, the treatment will typically involve inducing delivery using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. Alternatively, the patient’s doctor may deliver the fetus via a caesarean section. However, doctors typically reserve this option for patients who cannot withstand a vaginal delivery due to an emergency or a life-threatening condition.
What Are Common Risk Factors for Intrauterine Fetal Demise?
The risk factors for intrauterine fetal demise may arise from maternal health, fetal health, and environmental factors, including:
- Maternal age
- Systemic maternal disorders, such as autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and diabetes
- Umbilical cord disorders, including constriction
- Uterine abnormalities
- Fetal genetic conditions, such as trisomy
- Maternal or fetal infections
- Maternal drug or alcohol use
- Maternal or fetal bodily injury
Some cases are preventable if, at some point, an intervention could have reduced the risks to the fetus. In these cases, a party may be liable to the parents for the losses arising from the stillbirth.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Intrauterine Fetal Demise?
Liability for the death of a fetus can be established through several avenues. Typically, injured parties rely on three main legal theories to hold another person responsible for their resulting losses.
Intentional Tort
If an intentional act caused the fetus’s death, the parents may have a legal claim for assault, which occurs when someone intentionally makes harmful contact with your body.
For example, suppose another customer deliberately shoves you during an argument in a store. The fall breaks your hip, resulting in internal bleeding that leads to intrauterine fetal demise. In this case, the at-fault party is potentially liable for the broken hip and the stillbirth it caused.
Negligence
Negligence law allows accident victims to recover compensation for unintentional injuries. For example, you could pursue a professional negligence claim against a doctor for misdiagnosing a condition that led to fetal death. This would be a claim for medical malpractice, which occurs when a healthcare provider owes you a duty of care but fails to live up to it by providing unreasonably substandard care.
For example, suppose you went to the emergency room because of a fever. The doctor diagnosed you with the flu and sent you home. However, later you discover that you had a severe staph infection that caused your fetus to die. You may have a claim against the doctor and hospital for the failure to diagnose.
Importantly, a principle in negligence law allows you to seek compensation for all the losses caused by the breach of duty. As a result, you can seek compensation for the loss of your pregnancy, even if the at-fault party did not know you were pregnant.
Strict Liability
The law holds some parties strictly liable for the harm they cause. For example, manufacturers are strictly liable for injuries caused by defective products. Thus, if a prescription medication caused your fetus’s death, you may have a product liability case against the manufacturer.
Contact the Baltimore Personal Injury Lawyers at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
Intrauterine fetal demise can have many causes. If you lost a child from intrauterine fetal demise due to someone else’s wrongdoing, WGK Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help. Our Baltimore personal injury attorneys fight to ensure victims receive the compensation they deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers
14 W Madison St, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
(410) 837-2144
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers – Dundalk Office
7329 Holabird Ave Suite 3, Dundalk, MD 21222
By appointment only
(410) 970-3080
