October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. I wanted to start with some numbers that, while surprising to some, are all too well known for others.
25% of women experience pregnancy and/or infant loss at some point in their life.
That is one in every 4 women. Consider your circle of friends or your own family and the number of women in your life. It is mind blowing to me that so many women are experiencing this devastating loss and yet it is still not talked about or supported in the same way that we support other prominent loss causes (such as cancer).
Pregnancy Loss
10-20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.
This number is thought to be closer to 30% if you include people who did not yet know they were pregnant.
One in 100 pregnancies at 20 weeks or later are affected by stillbirth.
1% of pregnancies that make it to 20 weeks gestation or greater end with a stillbirth. 20 weeks is the gestational age that is used to differentiate a miscarriage from a stillbirth. In the year 2020, there were 20,854 fetal deaths at 20 weeks gestation or greater. That would be the equivalent to a bit more than 57 fetal deaths per day.
These are just the numbers for pregnancy loss and do not necessarily include the numbers of babies that are terminated for medical reasons (TFMR).
Terminated for Medical Reasons (TFMR)
Statistics on pregnancies that are Terminated for Medical Reasons (TFMR) are more difficult to determine. Terminating for medical reasons is technically considered abortion. Because of this, TFMR is lumped in with abortions for statistical purposes.
With the current political climate in our country, abortion is a very polarized topic. Unfortunately for these women who experience termination for medical reasons, they get lumped into this argument. This is saddening to me, because these women are still experiencing such a tragic loss. They do not deserve to get thrown into the middle of a political debate or be judged for a decision that they would prefer to have not had to make.
Infant Loss
Infant loss is considered the death of a child between birth and 1 year of age. This can be further broken down into neonatal loss (which is considered any loss between birth and 27 days of life) and post neonatal loss (which is any loss between 28 days of life and their 1st birthday).
5.58 per 1000 babies born die before their 1st birthday
This is 0.5% of all babies born. While this number is lower than the others, it could still be improved. An article published earlier this year in the American Journal for Managed Care reports that the United States has the highest infant mortality rate among high income countries, despite spending the most on health care. This to me is absolutely not acceptable. While some of these deaths may ultimately be considered unavoidable; I feel it also reflects the state of our health care system as a whole. While I am not a doctor and I do not know how to fix the system, I know it needs to be addressed.
If you have kept reading this long and you are not the one in four personally affected by pregnancy and infant loss, you may be asking “how do I help?” or “how does this impact me?”
Spread the word to help continue increasing pregnancy and infant loss awareness. The more that we as a community talk about and share our experiences with pregnancy and infant loss, the less taboo the topic becomes. Be supportive of the other women in your life. Not all women feel comfortable sharing their stories and we never know what someone else is coping with in silence. It costs us nothing to be kind…but that kindness could mean the world to someone else.
Talk about these babies gone too soon. Say their names. Ask how the person is doing. People often avoid the topic because they worry they will make the parent remember or make them sad. What people do not realize is that we never forget - our child is on our mind all the time. Others not acknowledging our child results in more isolation and sadness.
The Annual Wave of Light is October 15th at 7:00pm.
On October 15th at 7pm families around the world participate in the wave of light. They light a candle for at least 1 hour at 7pm (their local time) to remember all the babies gone too soon. Consider joining in a show of support for all those coping with the loss of a pregnancy or baby.
Wishing everyone a gentle October. While these fall months are often some peoples favorite, they can also bring many triggers and challenges for parents coping following the loss of a child.
Sending love, strength, and support your way,
Ashley
Resources for those interested in more info:
March of Dimes Miscarriage Statistics & Info