Melodie Salava never suspected her second child could be stillborn.
No one had broached the possibility with the Catonsville mom before her child, Kylee, stopped kicking March 12. But now she and her husband, Jeff Salava, hope to turn their grief into a movement to help other expectant mothers learn about the possible danger signs and cope with the loss.
“The day before they did an ultrasound. They told me her neonatal fluid was low, but they didn?t do anything about it,” Melodie Salava said.
“Your first time around you?re scared, you?re worried about every little thing,” said Jeff Salava. “The second time you?re just like, ?Wow!? We didn?t have any idea that something can go wrong.”
“It?s socommon,” said Melodie Salava, who keeps a snip of Kylee?s hair in a locket around her neck.
Stillbirth occurs in about 1 in 200 pregnancies and claims the lives of 26,000 babies every year in the United States alone, according to First Candle and the March of Dimes. Up to half of those occur in “problem-free” pregnancies. Only 14 percent of fetal deaths occur during labor and delivery.
The mother may suspect something is wrong if the baby suddenly stops squirming and kicking, the March of Dimes Web site said. However, in more than one-third of cases, the cause of stillbirth cannot be determined even after extensive testing.
“There really isn?t much research out there to see what could prevent it,” said Jeff Salava.
On Dec. 3, they will hold Art for Kylee?s Cause, an art auction to benefit First Candle, a leading organization dedicated to the survival of infants and those not yet born. The auction of fine art prints from Jeff Salava?s business ? Archival Arts Inc.? will take place in the Sculpture Barn at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.
“A portion of the proceeds will be tagged for research,” Melodie Salava said. Another portion is set aside to educate doctors and parents through education materials detailing warning signs that a baby might be in trouble in the womb.
First Candle and the national Back to Sleep Campaign showed remarkable success in reducing the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome, organization president Marian Sokol said. However, “to date, progress into understanding and addressing stillbirth issues has been almost nonexistent.”
SIDS, which usually occurs in sleeping babies from birth to 6 months, was largely a mystery until recent research showed sleeping on the back and without loose blankets or other possible obstructions can reduce a baby?s chances of dying in his or her crib.
For information or to make a donation, call 800-221-7437 or visit www.firstcandle.org.
More information
» Art for Kylee?s Cause will be held in the Sculpture Barn at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 3.
» Tickets are $15, or $25 per couple.
» Visit www.firstcandle.org or call 800-221-7437.
» Tickets will be available at the door.
