Antenatal care, identification of suboptimal fetal growth and risk of late stillbirth: findings from the Auckland stillbirth study

Introduction: Stillbirth remains an important public health problem in Australia and New Zealand. The role that antenatal care plays in the prevention of stillbirth in high-income countries is unclear. Methods: Cases were women with a singleton, late stillbirth without congenital abnormality, booked to deliver in the Auckland region and born between July 2006 and June 2009. Two controls with ongoing pregnancies were randomly selected at the same gestation at which the stillbirth occurred. Data were collected through interview-administered questionnaires and from antenatal records. Results: One hundred and fifty five of 215 (72%) cases and 310 of 429 (72%) controls consented to take part in the study. Accessing