Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (15:51): Today, I would like to speak about Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which is held on 15 October every year. On this day, parents, families and friends remember the children they have lost by miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death. Miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death are hidden tragedies impacting many thousands of families across our community. In fact, there are 106,000 cases of pregnancy and infant loss in Australia every year. Specifically, stillbirth impacts 2,000 families every year in Australia, which is six per day and, in fact, is the most common cause of child death in Australia.

As a wider community, we do not like to think about, much less talk about, miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. The thought of something as gut-wrenching as the loss of a child is difficult to contemplate, particularly as it hits immediately following all the excitement and anticipation of bringing a new life into the world. However, the grief is very real and it affects many people around us in our community more often than not without our knowledge.

I have not personally had a stillborn baby, but there are people close to me who have. The shock, trauma and grief of their loss is immense. For one family 12 years ago, the excitement and anticipation of having their first child were cruelly taken away on one night by the realisation that their soon to be born daughter's heart had stopped beating. At a time when new parents should have been sharing the excitement of their new child with family and friends, their family and friends and work colleagues were being informed of their loss and they were instead planning a funeral for a child they had barely had the opportunity to meet. Mum's feelings of guilt and regret continue for years and there is a longing to turn back the clock to do things differently.

Another mum frequently refers to her stillbirth as when she 'stuffed up', as though it was her fault. Moreover, having more children following the death of the first child was an experience of joy and excitement but also a great deal of anxiety, apprehension and relief. However, as a loving tribute to their daughter, her birthday is acknowledged each year with a birthday cake and singing happy birthday and, importantly, this day is shared with her younger siblings. She was and is a member of their family.

I have also heard many stories of the trauma of miscarriage. One is difficult enough, but for some families they happen repeatedly. One couple recently shared with me how lost and alone they felt following the loss of their first son, the first of seven babies lost during pregnancy, which is truly heartbreaking. By acknowledging Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day as a community, we can put our arms around those impacted and help raise awareness within our community.

Silence and stigma around pregnancy and infant loss prevent important conversations from occurring. Silence leaves impacted families feeling incredibly isolated, which exacerbates the trauma they experience, and as parents they are also less likely to be prepared to deal with the personal, social and financial consequences. Silence also creates constraints on the sharing of important information that could help save lives.

Increasing research and awareness, such as through campaigns like Red Nose Day, has been shown to be highly effective at reducing the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, in fact by 85 per cent since 1990. In the case of stillbirth, whilst not every stillbirth is preventable, many are and other countries have had success in reducing the incidence of stillbirth by 20 per cent to 30 per cent with better care.

Community awareness and awareness amongst medical professionals have played an important role in reducing rates of stillbirth through the sharing of evidence-based advice about the risk factors and signs associated with stillbirth. In recent years, the research effort in Australia has increased, particularly through initiatives such as the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence, with work that ranges from understanding the biology underlying pregnancy loss to better helping support bereaving families.

I would like to acknowledge the important work of the Adelaide-based organisation Still Aware led by Claire Foord, whose focus is on reducing the incidence of preventable stillbirth through increasing awareness and the sharing of evidence-based resources. I would also like to acknowledge John and Kate De'Laney, founders of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Australia, who reached out to me recently out of a desire to see Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day recognised in all jurisdictions across Australia. I thank them for their commitment to this important cause and also for providing us with the pins that a number of us are wearing today.

There is so much more we can do as a community by helping raise awareness. So on 15 October let's support families who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss by acknowledging their loss, helping to bring their grief out from the shadows and doing our bit to reduce the incidence of preventable deaths within our community in the future.