RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of intrauterine fetal death. METHODS: A retrospective cross sectional analysis was done on 269 cases of intrauterine fetal death, among 44,453 deliveries over 20 weeks of gestation or weighs more than 500gm, at Ghil Hospital, Gacheon Medical School from April 1994 to December 2001. RESULTS: The incidence of intrauterine fetal death was 0.06$. The average maternal age was 28 +/- 4.6 years old. There were 52 cases(19.3%) with previous history of spontaneous abortion and 3 cases(1.1%) with previous history of intrauterine fetal death. There were 28 cases(10.4%) of fetal anomaly, and of which central nervous system defect, hydrops fetalis, abdominal anomaly were common. The maternal disease was accompanied by 69 cases(25.7%) and most common maternal disease was preeclampsia. In 74 cases(27.5%), we could not find the suspected cause of intrauterine fetal death. The suspected causes of intrauterine fetal death were intrauterine growth retardation(13.8%), cord complication(12.6%), preeclampsia(11.5%), fetal anomaly(10.4%), and placental abruption(8.2%). There were 12 cases(4.5%) of peripartum maternal complications. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine growth retardation and cord complications were the most common suspected causes, we could not find the cause of intrauterine fetal death in 74 cases(27.5%) out of 269 cases.