P01: Fetus and newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy

P01.6: Fetus and newborn affected by maternal death

Mother and child are connected to one another by the placenta during the pregnancy. The placenta forms in the mother’s womb during pregnancy. The placenta consists of cells from the mother and cells from the unborn child. The umbilical cord connects the child to the placenta. The child is supplied with nutrients and oxygen from the mother's blood via the umbilical cord.

If the mother dies during pregnancy, the blood stops circulating. The mother's blood then no longer gets pumped to the child via the placenta. As a result, the child no longer receives any oxygen or nutrients. The child's health can be harmed as a result. So the child has to be delivered as quickly as possible via a Caesarean. However, the child can also die in the womb.