The definition of "fetal death" promulgated by the World Health Organization in 1950 is as follows:

"Fetal death" means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy. The death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles. Heartbeats are to be distinguished from transient cardiac contractions; respirations are to be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps. Germany
In Germany, a stillbirth is defined as the birth of a child of at least 500g weight without blood circulation or breath. Details for burial vary amongst the federal states. Republic of Ireland
Since 1 January 1995, stillbirths occurring in the Republic of Ireland must be registered; stillbirths that occurred before that date can also be registered but evidence is required. For the purposes of civil registration, s.1 of the Stillbirths Registration Act 1994 refers to "...a child weighing at least 500 grammes, or having reached a gestational age of at least 24 weeks who shows no signs of life." Netherlands
In the Netherlands, stillbirth is defined differently by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the Dutch Perinatal Registry (Stichting PRN).
Torsion of the umbilical cord is very common (especially in equine stillbirths) but it is not a natural state of the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord can be untwisted at delivery. The average cord has three twists. Smoke Inhalation - If a pregnant woman gets trapped in a building fire, the smoke and fumes can kill an unborn child.A pregnant woman sleeping on her back after 28 weeks of pregnancy may be a risk factor for stillbirth.After a stillbirth there is a 2.5% risk of another stillbirth in the next pregnancy (an increase from 0.4%).In the United States, highest rates of stillbirths happen in pregnant women who:
are of low socioeconomic status
are aged 35 years or older
have chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. are African-American
have previously lost a child during pregnancy
have multiple children at a time (twins, triplets, etc.) Diagnosis
It is unknown how much time is needed for a fetus to die. Fetal behavior is consistent and a change in the fetus movements or sleep-wake cycles can indicate fetal distress. A decrease or cessation in sensations of fetal activity may be an indication of fetal distress or death, though it is not entirely uncommon for a healthy fetus to exhibit such changes, particularly near the end of a pregnancy when there is considerably less space in the uterus than earlier in pregnancy for the fetus to move about.