2 million stillbirths every year, pandemic might worsen toll

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization and partners say there are about 2 million stillbirths every year, according to its first-ever global estimates. The U.N. health agency said Thursday that last year three in four stillbirths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa or Southern Asia; it defined a stillbirth as a baby born with no signs of life at 28 weeks of pregnancy or later. The report warned that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could worsen the global toll of stillbirths, estimating that a 50% reduction in health services during the pandemic could result in an additional 200,000 in the next year in developing countries.