November 19, 2024October was International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, including Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day on 15 October – an annual day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death, which includes miscarriage, stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), ectopic pregnancy, termination for medical reasons, and the death of a newborn.
With one in four pregnancies ending in loss, the purpose of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is to allow families the opportunity to pause, reflect and honour the life and loss of their pregnancy and baby. It is also a way to bring forth greater public awareness of pregnancy loss, infant death and its impacts and the importance of acknowledging it.
“The loss of a pregnancy and death of a baby can be a devastating for both the families and the health care professionals caring for them,” said Alia Sayegh, Social Worker.
“As health care professionals, the way we respond to a pregnancy loss or infant death can have long-term consequences for families experiencing the loss and can have major impacts on healing and recovery. Ensuring that women and families receive appropriate and compassionate care after a loss is crucial in fighting the stigma families, particularly women, face after pregnancy and or infant loss.”
“Together, we can bring more awareness to the importance of supporting these people in appropriate and meaningful ways.”
Northern Health’s Social Work department is currently undertaking a quality improvement project that hopes to address the needs of women and their families’ experiencing miscarriages, particularly within the ED space.
“This quality project includes a literature review of current best practice. It will also include a review of current procedures and guidelines already in place at Northern Health, to ensure they include information about the social and emotional experiences of patients,” Alia said.
“For example, some inclusions may be the need to tailor the care provided, honouring the woman’s choice, providing culturally and spiritually safe supports, acknowledging the meaning of the pregnancy/loss and focusing on use of sensitive language and approaches that foster a safe space, and linking women to appropriate community supports.”
“If you have experienced pregnancy loss or the death of a baby, you are not alone. Red Nose provides vital 24/7 support and services to thousands of Australian women every year who lose a baby to miscarriage, via termination for medical reasons, in early infancy or through stillbirth or SIDS.”
Anyone impacted by pregnancy loss can contact the RED Nose 24/7 Grief and Loss Support Line on 1300 308 307.
Staff are encouraged to consider a referral to their area Social Worker if their patient has experienced pregnancy loss. Social work has the knowledge, skillset and theoretical underpinnings to be able to complete trauma informed and holistic assessments and linkage to relevant community supports.
Social work is able to further explore and provide bereavement support, which can in turn minimise complicated grief. Psychosocial support is quintessential in the miscarriage space as it will allow provision of holistic, compassionate and tailored supports underpinned by compassion, empathy and sensitivity.
Social workers can be instrumental in this space given the emphasis on holistic care, understanding of the systems and environments around people, and provision of resources.
Featured image: Alia Sayegh, Social Worker and Sarah Wotherspoon, Social Work Senior Clinician.
