Preterm labor due to fetal malformation

A close friend of mine is currently five months into her pregnancy. They discovered some severe brain anomalies with the baby, and just two weeks later, they had to undergo an emergency preterm delivery. She went through the labor naturally, but tragically, the baby didn't survive.

Could someone please help me make sense of what happened? My friend felt the baby moving inside her—it was very much alive at that stage. I'm struggling to understand the medical reality here: does this mean the baby passed away while still in the womb, died during the birth process, or was there some intervention after the delivery?

I can't bring myself to ask my friend directly for these details; she’s already dealing with such an unimaginable trauma, and I don't want to cause her any more pain.

I’m concerned we’re calling this a premature birth when it’s actually an abortion.
And let’s be clear—provided there is a formal medical board opinion, performing an abortion after ten weeks due to specific medical necessity is entirely possible.

But those ABs, they basically just vacuum everything up, right? Especially when you've got a 5-month-old baby 😲

They just can't deliver a baby that size safely, so they opt for an induced labor instead. It’s a way to try and ensure there's some sign of life at the moment of delivery; otherwise, they'd be looking at a D&C. Of course, that doesn't guarantee the baby makes it through, and honestly, it's a terrifying gamble because the mother could just as easily lose her life in the process.😢

The baby was already five and a half months old by the time they finished running all those tests.

I’d honestly rather not read this—sorry, I really don't have anything intelligent to contribute here...