Baby Loss Questionnaire

Baby loss is unfortunately not as uncommon as we may think. 13 babies per day within the UK sadly die after birth. So being well informed, and having any understanding of how to support or refer individuals is critical to the patients experience and future.

We have set up a Special Interest Group (SIG) within the BSLM and plan to provide training and ongoing support. If you wish to be involved and/ or provide any further support or information, please get in touch with the SIG at appointments@thelifestylemedic.org

In an effort to pioneer a support model within primary care to support families with grief who have experienced baby loss, our BSLM SIG is working on a project to implement change and introduce a minimum standard of care that supports bereaved postpartum parents, using lifestyle medicine approaches and interventions. This support could be used at a time when they are no longer under

any midwifery care following a stillbirth or neonatal death or to support parents who have made the difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy or who have experienced a miscarriage(s).

Much of the support available for families following baby loss is provided by charities, which many individuals are unaware of. The pathway to improve bereavement care for parents in England after pregnancy or baby loss (2022) highlights that many families are left to cope on their own, and although they may be well supported by friends and family often, they may not be getting

the help they need with their loss and grief. The report further highlights how important it is that parents receive information from their primary care team, and GP, taking the initiative to offer support with good follow up and care.

Our SIG is in the beginning stages of scoping out your experiences as primary care clinicians and GPs who may see parents following baby loss, to best determine the direction for our SIG to begin to prioritise project areas of training and education, to ensure families are not misinformed, poorly treated or left to cope following baby loss. Thank you for taking the time to consider our questionnaire.

References to baby loss considers a stillbirth, neonatal death, termination of pregnancy, miscarriage (at any gestation) and ectopic pregnancy.

Medical discharge summary from the maternity unit, for patient Y, explains the delivery of a baby who died in the womb and the mother had been admitted for a planned delivery with a known outcome. As the on call doctor, how would you approach this?

How often do you see patients in routine appointments who want to talk to you/seeking support about their baby loss experience? Rarely - Somtimes - Often - Never?

What do they want to talk to you about? What support or advice are they seeking? You can choose more than one option. a. Baby loss and grief b. Miscarriages c. Fertility issues d. Conception advice following baby loss – what specifically are they asking? e. Depression / Anxiety f. Other – please state

On a scale of 1-10 how confident do you feel in supporting patients experiencing grief with baby loss? 10 being very confident.

What advice or support do you offer?

What steps are currently in place for aftercare following baby loss?

Is there a framework in place within your practice to support and manage families who have lost a baby?

Is there a lead practitioner who is responsible for baby loss support?

If no, would you consider creating a role?

Are there any CPD modules or any specific training courses available for baby loss awareness within your practice?

Do you feel there is enough training for GPs/primary care clinicians in supporting parents with baby loss grief?

What happens to mother's during a 6 week postpartum check following baby loss?

Are you aware of any baby loss charities in your local area that could help support your patient and their family? Have you made any referrals or signposted anyone to similar support networks? Do you have any established relationship with these charities or organisations to enable proactive contact from them to your patient with their consent?

What language would you use during a baby loss consultation? What questions might you ask, or how would you approach the subject?

What follow up plan would you make with a mother who has suffered baby loss following hospital discharge? What would you feel is an appropriate standard practice?

From our own research, we have found individuals experience very different aftercare following postpartum loss. Some ladies have been contacted direct from their GP, others have sought support by reaching out to their GP when they have felt able to talk about their loss. What would you do? How would you approach a medical discharge summary of a stillbirth or baby loss?

Do you feel that you and your colleagues are able to sufficiently support families during the difficult journey of baby loss? If no, what can be done to improve this?

Sadly, 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth every day in the UK. On average, there are 1903 babies born daily within the UK, so infant death is tragically, not uncommon. Do these figures surprise you? Have you come across a patient who has lost a child or baby?

Do you think you could have done anything different?

Do you need guidance on how to support people during this time?

Do you feel there is a place for lifestyle medicine advice and interventions to support a parent with baby loss grief?

There is a clear postpartum pathway for new mothers; discharge summary, C-section care/ caring for your post partum body, breast feeding, midwife care, 6 week GP check up etc. There is no specific pathway for postpartum loss. Do you think there is adequate support in place or do you feel more is needed?

Scenario - true story. ‘’A mother attends her six week postpartum check at the doctor's, following the death of her baby. The clinician asked- what are you here for?’’ How inappropriate is this? This cannot be happening. What can we do to prevent any other family experiencing this? Thoughts and comments please -

What additional provisions or support are made available to a mother at her 6-week postpartum check following baby loss?

Do you feel supporting someone to make lifestyle changes based on the pillars of health can help them to cope with their grief? Which pillars of health do you think are most applicable? You can choose more than one option. a. Mental Wellbeing b. Minimizing Harmful Substances c. Healthy Relationships d. Healthy Eating e. Sleep f. Physical Activity

Often a person will experience anger/stress, depression/anxiety and feelings of hopelessness in their response to grief. Do you feel health behaviour change models and health coaching could help a bereaved parent manage their grief?

Thank you so much for your time completing this questionnaire. Your feedback is essential and much appreciated.

Baby Loss Questionnaire

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