Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 9;24(1):522.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06721-7.

Preliminary findings on the experiences of care for women who suffered early pregnancy losses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Sergio A Silverio  1 , Rhiannon George-Carey  2 , Maria Memtsa  3   4 , Flora E Kent-Nye  5 , Laura A Magee  5 , Kayleigh S Sheen  5   6 , Karen Burgess #  7 , Munira Oza #  8 , Claire Storey  9 , Jane Sandall  5 ; PUDDLES UK Collaboration; Abigail Easter  5 , Peter von Dadelszen  5 , Davor Jurković  10   4
Collaborators, Affiliations

Preliminary findings on the experiences of care for women who suffered early pregnancy losses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Sergio A Silverio et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: Women who suffer an early pregnancy loss require specific clinical care, aftercare, and ongoing support. In the UK, the clinical management of early pregnancy complications, including loss is provided mainly through specialist Early Pregnancy Assessment Units. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way in which maternity and gynaecological care was delivered, as health systems moved to rapidly reconfigure and re-organise services, aiming to reduce the risk and spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. PUDDLES is an international collaboration investigating the pandemic's impact on care for people who suffered a perinatal bereavement. Presented here are initial qualitative findings undertaken with UK-based women who suffered early pregnancy losses during the pandemic, about how they navigated the healthcare system and its restrictions, and how they were supported.

Methods: In-keeping with a qualitative research design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken with an opportunity sample of women (N = 32) who suffered any early pregnancy loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analysed using a template analysis to understand women's access to services, care, and networks of support, during the pandemic following their pregnancy loss. The thematic template was based on findings from parents who had suffered a late-miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death in the UK, during the pandemic.

Results: All women had experienced reconfigured maternity and early pregnancy services. Data supported themes of: 1) COVID-19 Restrictions as Impractical & Impersonal; 2) Alone, with Only Staff to Support Them; 3) Reduction in Service Provision Leading to Perceived Devaluation in Care; and 4) Seeking Their Own Support. Results suggest access to early pregnancy loss services was reduced and pandemic-related restrictions were often impractical (i.e., restrictions added to burden of accessing or receiving care). Women often reported being isolated and, concerningly, aspects of early pregnancy loss services were reported as sub-optimal.

Conclusions: These findings provide important insight for the recovery and rebuilding of health services in the post-pandemic period and help us prepare for providing a higher standard of care in the future and through any other health system shocks. Conclusions made can inform future policy and planning to ensure best possible support for women who experience early pregnancy loss.

Keywords: Abortion; COVID-19; Early pregnancy; Ectopic pregnancy; Miscarriage; Molar pregnancy; Pregnancy loss; Pregnancy of unknown location; Qualitative research; SARS-CoV-2; Termination of pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Template of Themes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Silverio SA. A lifecourse analysis approach to pregnancy loss & perinatal bereavement: Ruptures as sites of empirical inquiry. Surrey (virtual): The Society for Reproductive & Infant Psychology annual conference; 2022.
    1. Quenby S, Gallos ID, Dhillon-Smith RK, et al. Miscarriage matters: the epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of early pregnancy loss. Lancet. 2021;397(10285):1658–67. 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00682-6. 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00682-6 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Heazell AEP, Siassakos D, Blencowe H, et al. Stillbirths: economic and psychosocial consequences. Lancet. 2016;387(10018):604–16. 10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00836-3. 10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00836-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Draper ES, Gallimore ID, Smith LK, et al. MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Report, UK Perinatal Deaths for Births from January to December 2020. Leicester: The Infant Mortality and Morbidity Studies, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester; 2022.
    1. Jurkovic D, Overton C, Bender-Atik R. Diagnosis and management of first trimester miscarriage. BMJ. 2013;346(f3676):1–7. 10.1136/bmj.f3676.10.1136/bmj.f3676 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources