Baby Loss Awareness Week

Baby Loss Awareness Week 2017 is on 9-15 October.  This is an opportunity for those affected by baby loss to remember and commemorate their babies’ lives, and to raise awareness of this issue.  The website provides more information about the aims of the week:

Baby Loss Awareness Week is an opportunity:

• for bereaved parents, and their families and friends, to unite with others across the world to commemorate their babies’ lives.
• to raise awareness about the issues surrounding pregnancy and baby loss in the UK, and push for tangible improvements in services, support, research or policy around bereavement support.
• to let the public and key stakeholders what charities and other supportive organisations are doing on bereavement support around pregnancy and baby lossThe charities leading Baby Loss Awareness Week provide support to anyone affected by pregnancy loss and the death of a baby, and work with health professionals and services to improve care.

Together we are committed to raising awareness of pregnancy and baby loss. We also want to identify how we can reduce preventable deaths and improve support for all those affected.

Baby Loss Awareness week is coordinated and supported by a number of charities including Sands, the Miscarriage Association and Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC).

The term baby loss can describe a number of different types of bereavements including, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, neonatal and infant death, and termination of pregnancy. It is not possible to provide a comprehensive briefing on these in this debate pack. However, this briefing will highlight key recent policy announcements and parliamentary activity in this area.

A number of Commons library and POST publications may provide useful information in preparation for the debate on baby loss awareness week:

• POSTnote, Infant Mortality and Stillbirth in the UK, May 2016
• Commons Library Debate pack, Bereavement leave for families that lose a child, 8 September 2017
• POST Briefing, Bereavement Care after the Loss of a Baby in the UK, July 2016
• Commons Library briefing paper, Registration of stillbirth, 4 October 2017
• Commons Library briefing paper, Infant cremation, 4 October 2017