Report says 2.6 mn babies stillborn each year

About 2.6 million stillbirths occur each year, causing a devastating impact on couples who can often be prevented with good medical care, The Lancet, said Thursday.

Eighty-eight percent of the 7000 stillbirths occur each day occur in developing countries, he said in a series of documents.

The actual count may be even more because this estimate is based on World Health Organization (WHO) definition, that a baby is stillborn, as opposed to a miscarriage after 28 weeks of gestation.

But most rich countries have stillbirths in pregnant about 22 weeks.

If this definition was used, the total number of global stillbirths would be around 45 per cent more, "Lancet said.

Finland, with 2.0 stillbirths per 1,000 births, the lowest in the world, while Nigeria and Pakistan, with more than 40 per 1000, are the highest.

About half of stillbirths occur worldwide due to complications during childbirth, a risk which has been virtually eliminated in high-income countries.

The Lancet series suggests rally the country behind a target to reduce stillbirths in 2020, including efforts in maternal and neo-natal and stillbirths in incorporating vital statistics.