One of the things that bothers me when I share any part of Adrian’s story is this undercurrent of, “But this is so rare. This would never happen to me.” Here is why that attitude is dangerous—
1. At current rates of 1 in 160 pregnancies, stillbirth is not rare. The fact is, you already personally know at least one person in your life who has experienced stillbirth. You likely know many.
2. Even if stillbirth, or any other tragedy, were uncommon enough to be considered rare, you also have to consider impact. If your child were stillborn, what would be the impact on you? And would it be any comfort to you that stillbirth “only” happens in 1 out of 160 pregnancies? Or would it be life-changing, regardless?
Stillbirth is here, and real, and permanent. And when you wake up every day without your living child who should be almost 4 years old, the fact that his death is “rare” becomes pretty meaningless.
Related Posts:
Pregnancy Blog: Stillbirth & Statistics; What does it mean to be “Rare”?
1 in 160 feels like such a small number until you put it in context. For the parents of a stillborn child, 1 in 160 will always be one too many.
Downloadable Graphics:
![Download or click "P"/Save button to post to Pinterest "1 in 160" feels like such a small number until you put it in context. For the parents of a stillborn child, 1 in 160 will always be one too many. -Miranda Hernandez, Adrian's Mother](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/18135946/1-in-160-Feels-Small-Number-Until-in-Context-Parents-Stillborn-Child-Always-1-Too-Many-PW.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save button to post to Pinterest "1 in 160" feels like such a small number until you put it in context. For the parents of a stillborn child, 1 in 160 will always be one too many. -Miranda Hernandez, Adrian's Mother](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/18135939/1-in-160-Feels-Small-Number-Until-in-Context-Parents-Stillborn-Child-Always-1-Too-Many-PB.png)
![Download for Instagram "1 in 160" feels like such a small number until you put it in context. For the parents of a stillborn child, 1 in 160 will always be one too many. -Miranda Hernandez, Adrian's Mother](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/18135932/1-in-160-Feels-Small-Number-Until-in-Context-Parents-Stillborn-Child-Always-1-Too-Many-IGW.png)
![Download for Instagram "1 in 160" feels like such a small number until you put it in context. For the parents of a stillborn child, 1 in 160 will always be one too many. -Miranda Hernandez, Adrian's Mother](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/18135926/1-in-160-Feels-Small-Number-Until-in-Context-Parents-Stillborn-Child-Always-1-Too-Many-IGB.png)
Excerpts from Miranda’s Blog: Stillbirth & Statistics; What Does it Mean to be “Rare”?
Downloadable Graphics:
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest Title: Stillbirth & Statistics; What Does it Mean to be "Rare"?](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122704/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P00.0.png)
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![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest One of the things I hear most often when I share any part of Adrian’s story is that stillbirth is “rare”. And I understand this. If I had heard that something happened in less than 1% of all cases, I might have considered it rare, too…Until it happened to me.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122659/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P01.0.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest If I had heard that something happened in less than 1% of all cases, I might have considered it rare, too…Until it happened to me.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122658/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P01.1.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest I think the problem with using words like “rare” in place of actual numbers is that it’s a description that renders those numbers abstract. Our brains are so unused to thinking about statistical concepts that we classify these things as either likely, e.g. I’m likely to have a flat tire at some point in my life; or practically impossible, e.g. I will never win the lottery. But we do a really poor job of thinking about all of the possibilities that lie in between.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122656/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P02.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest If I told you that something happened 1 out of 160 times, would you consider that rare? What if I put it in context? What if, for example, every time you crossed the street, you were subject to a 1 in 160 chance of being hit by a bus? Or in more positive terms, let’s argue that one in 160 lottery scratchers yields $100. Do you find yourself looking at those numbers differently now?](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122655/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P03.png)
![Download for Instagram One of the things I hear most often when I share any part of Adrian’s story is that stillbirth is “rare”. And I understand this. If I had heard that something happened in less than 1% of all cases, I might have considered it rare, too…Until it happened to me.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122634/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG01.0.jpg)
![Download for Instagram If I had heard that something happened in less than 1% of all cases, I might have considered it rare, too…Until it happened to me.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122633/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG01.1.jpg)
![Download for Instagram I think the problem with using words like “rare” in place of actual numbers is that it’s a description that renders those numbers abstract. Our brains are so unused to thinking about statistical concepts that we classify these things as either likely, e.g. I’m likely to have a flat tire at some point in my life; or practically impossible, e.g. I will never win the lottery. But we do a really poor job of thinking about all of the possibilities that lie in between.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122632/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG02.jpg)
![Download for Instagram If I told you that something happened 1 out of 160 times, would you consider that rare? What if I put it in context? What if, for example, every time you crossed the street, you were subject to a 1 in 160 chance of being hit by a bus? Or in more positive terms, let’s argue that one in 160 lottery scratchers yields $100. Do you find yourself looking at those numbers differently now?](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122630/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG03.jpg)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest Pregnancy is a scary time, and it feels like so much is outside of our control. I think there is also this unconscious assumption that stillbirth just happens, and that there is nothing we can do. (This is wrong.) And even if it weren’t, this kind of attitude would only keeps us from developing better prevention and solutions.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122654/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P04.0.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest Pregnancy is a scary time, and it feels like so much is outside of our control. I think there is also this unconscious assumption that stillbirth just happens, and that there is nothing we can do. (This is wrong.)](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122653/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P04.1.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest Simple fact: in the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160. If we were talking about something meaningless, I could maybe understand the use of words like “rare”. But this isn’t meaningless. This is important. This is a sad, and in many cases, preventable, emergency.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122651/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P05.0.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest Simple fact: in the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160. If we were talking about something meaningless, I could maybe understand the use of words like “rare”. But this isn’t meaningless. This is important. This is a sad, and in many cases, preventable, emergency.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122648/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P05.0B.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest Simple fact: in the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160. If we were talking about something meaningless, I could maybe understand the use of words like “rare”. But this isn’t meaningless. This is important. This is a sad, and in many cases, preventable, emergency.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122647/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P05.0W.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest In the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122646/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P05.1.png)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest In the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122644/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P05.1B.png)
![Download for Instagram Pregnancy is a scary time, and it feels like so much is outside of our control. I think there is also this unconscious assumption that stillbirth just happens, and that there is nothing we can do. (This is wrong.) And even if it weren’t, this kind of attitude would only keeps us from developing better prevention and solutions.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122628/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG04.0.jpg)
![Download for Instagram Pregnancy is a scary time, and it feels like so much is outside of our control. I think there is also this unconscious assumption that stillbirth just happens, and that there is nothing we can do. (This is wrong.)](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122626/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG04.1.jpg)
![Download for Instagram Simple fact: in the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160. If we were talking about something meaningless, I could maybe understand the use of words like “rare”. But this isn’t meaningless. This is important. This is a sad, and in many cases, preventable, emergency.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122625/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG05.0.jpg)
![Download for Instagram Simple fact: in the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160. If we were talking about something meaningless, I could maybe understand the use of words like “rare”. But this isn’t meaningless. This is important. This is a sad, and in many cases, preventable, emergency.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122624/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG05.0B.jpg)
![Download for Instagram Simple fact: in the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160. If we were talking about something meaningless, I could maybe understand the use of words like “rare”. But this isn’t meaningless. This is important. This is a sad, and in many cases, preventable, emergency.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122622/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG05.0W.png)
![Download for Instagram In the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122621/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG05.1.jpg)
![Download for Instagram In the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122619/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG05.1B.jpg)
![Download or click "P"/Save
button to post to Pinterest In the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122643/MSB-20190930-Statistics-P05.1W.png)
![Download for Instagram In the United States today, 1 out of 160 pregnancies ends in the death of the child at or after 20 weeks gestation. 1 in 160.](https://adrianselephantpanda2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/01122617/MSB-20190930-Statistics-IG05.1W.jpg)