Strengths and limitations
The strengths of this study are first, the strict inclusion and
exclusion criteria in the cohort of singleton antepartum stillbirths,
each of which has been subject to extensive post-mortem investigations
in order to define the cause of death. Our institutional database on
antepartum stillbirths includes reliable and accurate data, which are
annually checked and updated. This ascertains a continuous degree of
quality. The single-centre setting of the study also reduces bias and
heterogeneity in reporting pathology findings and collection of
pregnancy data.
However, we acknowledge the relatively small sample size due to the
study’s design and retrospective setting. Also, maternal demographic
parameters were self-reported by the woman at time of antenatal booking
or delivery and therefore subject to recall bias which we cannot control
for.