Intrauterine infection may be a major cause of stillbirth in SwedenTolockiene, Egle; Morsing, Eva; Holst, Elisabeth; Herbst, Andreas; Ljungh, Åsa; Svenningsen, Nils; Hägerstrand, Inga; Nyström, Lennarth Tolockiene, E., Morsing, E., Holst, E., Herbst, A., Ljungh, Å., Svenningsen, N., ... Nyström, L. (2001). Intrauterine infection may be a major cause of stillbirth in Sweden. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 80(6), 511-518. https://doi.org/10.1034/j. 1600-0412.2001.d01-151.x General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research.• You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2001; 80: 511-518 Aim of the study. To investigate intrauterine infection as a cause for unexplained stillbirth.Methods. Chorioamnionitis was studied in a material of stillbirths (117 subjects from the years 1985-1994) from a region in the south Sweden. Control material (126 alive and healthy newborns and with healthy mothers) was gathered from the same region.Results. Chorioamnionitis was a common diagnosis both with stillbirths and 'healthy' deliveries (82 and 68%, respectively). Extension of the inflammation to decidua basalis was seven times more common among stillbirths than among controls (odds ratio 7.2, confidence interval 2.8-21.9). The most common bacteria found at cultures were Escherichia coli, Coagulase negative staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis and group B Streptococcus. The risk for stillbirth was doubled if both inflammation and bacteria were present (odds ratio 2.3, confidence interval 0.92-5.8). Meconium discharge was more common among stillbirths than controls (odds ratioΩ4.7, confidence interval 1.7-14). There were no differences in any respect regarding macerated and non-macerated stillbirths. Our findings are similar to the results from studies in developing countries except for the higher incidence of stillbirths in such countries.Conclusions. Thus, a large part of otherwise unexplained stillbirths might be due to ascending infections.