Annual Baby Loss Awareness Week
In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss during pregnancy or birth. Each day, throughout 2020 within the UK, 2000 babies were born alive. However 500 babies were miscarried, 150 babies were born prematurely, and 7 babies were born sleeping (stillborn).
The key statistics being :
● 716,704 births were registered in 2020 (613,935 England & Wales; 46,809 Scotland; 55,959 Northern Ireland)
● There were 2,638 stillbirths in 2020 (2,371 England & Wales; 198 Scotland; 69 Northern Ireland)
● Approximately 60,000 babies were born prematurely in 2020
● An estimated 1 in 5 pregnancies ended in miscarriage (1 in 6 if we only count women who realised/reported the miscarriage)
● Estimates suggest there are 250,000 miscarriages every year in the UK, and around 11,000 emergency admissions for ectopic pregnancies
● There were 1,719 neonatal deaths in England and Wales in 2020
● 209 women died during or up to 6 weeks after pregnancy between 2015-2017 - this equates to 9.2 women per 100,000 who died due to causes associated with pregnancy during pregnancy or soon after.
This week (9th - 15th October 2022) is the 20th Annual Baby Loss Awareness Week (#BLAW2022) which helps to commemorate the lives of babies who died during pregnancy, at or soon after birth and in early childhood. The stigma and silence of these bereavements can often mean families feel isolated in their grief.
To honour and remember every little life lost, Ultrasound Care staff, together with hundreds of thousands of people around the world will light a candle at 7pm on Saturday 15th October.
TYPES OF PREGNANCY LOSS / MISCARRIAGE :
● An Early miscarriage, is when a pregnancy is lost in the first 3 months (first trimester) of pregnancy. This is the most common type of miscarriage.
● A Late miscarriage is when a pregnancy is lost after 12 weeks (first trimester) but before 24 weeks. About 1–2% of pregnancies end in a late miscarriage.
● A Stillbirth is the loss of a pregnancy after 24 weeks. It happens in approximately 0.5% of births in England.
● A Complete miscarriage is when the pregnancy tissues comes away from your womb completely and there is no need for medical intervention.
● An Incomplete miscarriage is when a miscarriage begins, but not all of the pregnancy come away.
● A Missed miscarriage (also known as a silent or delayed miscarriage).Sometimes, women don’t have any symptoms of a miscarriage, but it will be diagnosed during a routine ultrasound.
● A Chemical pregnancy is when a pregnancy ends in miscarriage before 5 weeks of pregnancy. The pregnancy may be confirmed by a blood test or a home pregnancy test but is not yet visible on an ultrasound scan.
● A Molar pregnancy is when the pregnancy doesn’t form properly in the womb. It is a very rare complication. This can be a full or partial molar pregnancy. Both require surgical intervention, and could lead to further management.
● Recurrent miscarriage is when a miscarriage happens 3 or more times in a row. This is very rare, affecting 1% of couples.
● Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy where the baby develops outside the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. This happens in approximately 1% of pregnancies.
● Termination of pregnancy for Medical reasons. Unfortunately during scans and other screening a medical issue may be diagnosed (either with yourself or your baby) which leads to you making the hard choice of terminating your pregnancy.
At Ultrasound Care, our Sonographers are highly trained with years of experience working within the NHS sector. Most miscarriages can be detected by using ultrasound, if you were unlucky to be diagnosed during a scan with ourselves; with empathy our staff will diagnosis and sign post you for further care. We have also been a place where parents attend to confirm a diagnosis or to see their beloved child one last time.
Further information and support for pregnancy and neonatal loss can be found at :
Miscarriage - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
The Miscarriage Association: Pregnancy loss information and support
