ABSTRACT. Losing a child before its birth is a situation encountered in every society. Poland has collected detailed demographic data on stillborn death, which describe the number of stillborn babies born after twenty-second week of pregnancy. The country is still lacking the demographic data for the number of abortions (i.e. before twenty-two weeks of gestation). In contrast, medical and psychological data show the death of a fetus as different at every stage of prenatal age. Additionally, medicine uses a much wider description of this phenomenon than the one used in sociology. In this paper, demographic data on the situation of stillbirths in Poland will be presented in regard of various aspects - maternal age, gender of a fetus, duration of pregnancy. A psychological characteristics of the phenomenon and the most common risk factors for losing a child in the prenatal period will be given. In addition, major psychological, sociological and medical consequences that occur for women who have experienced the loss of a child before its birth will be taken into account.JEL Classification: I12, I14, I19Keywords: stillbirth, miscarriage, loss of procreation.IntroductionThe situation of the women who experienced a child loss before giving actual birth is an important subject, as unsuccessful termination of pregnancy is a problem for many women and their families. The situation is even more difficult, as even pregnancy prophylaxis does not guarantee successful termination of pregnancy. Despite the development of medicine and prenatal diagnosis, the state health care does not make it widely available to pregnant women. Very often the decision whether to start or discontinue prenatal testing is based on economic factors. Prenatal tests in Poland are expensive and not refunded by government. What is more, a situation when a woman loses her child before its birth is still a taboo subject in Polish society, which does not help the parents to deal with their loss.The terminology concerning stillbirths varies depending on the branch describing it. In sociological understanding, according to the Demographic Yearbook of Poland (2012), the issue of births and deaths is regulated as follows:according to the definitions of terms concerning duration of pregnancy, miscarriages, stillbirths and live births, the following rules apply: stillbirth (death of fetus) is a complete expulsion of the fetus from the body system of the mother, either naturally or by external forces, after twenty-second week of pregnancy; after the removal, the fetus does not breathe nor show other signs of life (such as cardiac function, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or noticeable muscles contractions dependent on the will).Vital statistics. Birth. Demographic Yearbook, p. 18This definition of birth and death of newborns, recommended by the World Health Organization, in Poland came to life in 1994. The method of calculation is as follows: until 1993, the number of stillbirths was calculated based on the Reths' rule; quotient of the number of deaths of newborns in given year and a proportion of live births in given year. Since 1994 to present era, infant mortality rate and dead births is calculated as quotient of the total number of deaths of newborns and total number of live births registered in given year.For statistical purposes, medical documentation concerning perinatal period should include all liveborn newborns, but also fetuses (born dead) weighing at least five hundred grams in the moment of birth; and if birth weight is unknown - fetuses born after at least twenty-two weeks of pregnancy or measuring twenty-five centimeters in body length (from the top of the skull to the heel).There is a visible discrepancy in the understanding of dead births within sociological studies and psychological studies. Psychological description of births and deaths is based mainly on medical classification, which stresses gestational age and therefore stage of development. …