Pregnancy loss

Abstract

Women who lose desired pregnancies by miscarriage, stillbirth, or genetic termination are at risk of suffering from grief, anxiety, guilt and self-blame that may even present in subsequent pregnancies. It is important to find effective means of helping women deal with these losses. The approach to stillbirth has shifted from immediately removing the child from the mother to encouraging the parents to view and hold the baby. This approach has been questioned as possibly causing persistent anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Women who miscarry are currently encouraged to find ways to memorialise the lost fetus. Couples who decide to terminate a pregnancy after discovering a defect may deal not only with sadness but also guilt. Immediate crisis intervention and follow-up care should be available, recognising that individual women may experience different reactions and their specific post-loss needs must be assessed.

Keywords: genetic terminations; miscarriage; pregnancy loss; stillbirth.