Before I can answer this question, it is important to understand the term stillborn. A stillbirth is defined as the intra-uterine death and subsequent delivery of a developing infant that occurs later than twenty completed weeks of gestation. In other words, a stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus and is either delivered naturally or by means of a C-section.
Because the Sacraments of the Church are specifically designed for the living, they are never performed on those who are dead. And since the Sacrament of Baptism represents that person’s entrance into Christ’s Church with the intention of putting that faith into action, the baptism of a stillborn cannot possibly represent the beginning of a lifelong effort to live out the Gospel. As such, the baptism of a stillborn infant is not permitted in the Orthodox Church.
However, in a situation where there is doubt as to whether the moment of death has actually occurred, a priest, parent, doctor, or nurse, can baptize the child under the condition that there may still be life remaining.
Regarding those children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God and pray that our Savior, Who did not hinder the little children from coming to Him, will accept them into His Heavenly realms unconditionally.
