Day 9: 26 Days of March of Dimes

Day 9: Loss and Grief

The death of a baby can be devastating for families. March of Dimes can help you understand your loss and begin to heal.

 




PREGNANCY LOSS

Pregnancy loss includes miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth and other conditions that cause a pregnancy to end before birth. Many women have these kinds of losses. Most can get pregnant again and go on to have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Even so, pregnancy loss can be heartbreaking. You may not have had the chance to touch or hold your baby, but you may still need time to grieve and heal. 

Newborn loss

Newborn death can be caused by prematurity, birth defects and other health problems. Regardless of the cause, a baby’s death is one of the most painful things that can happen to a family. You may be overwhelmed by your feelings of loss.  You and your family may need help to understand why your baby died. And you may need support to find ways to deal with your grief and ease your pain. 

Dealing with grief

Grief is all the feelings you have when someone close to you dies. It’s normal to have feelings of grief, even with an early miscarriage. Learning how people grieve and thinking about ways to remember your baby can help ease your pain and get ready to think about the future. 

source:  http://www.marchofdimes.com/loss-grief.aspx

On a lighter note... The work is paying off!

US Preterm Birth Rate Declines for 6th Consecutive Year, Says Federal Report

Statement of Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes
White Plains, NY Sept. 6, 2013 –

The US preterm birth rate fell for the sixth consecutive year in 2012 to 11.54 percent of all births, the lowest it has been in 15 years and a 10 percent decline since the 2006 peak of 12.8 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statics report issued today. 

 “This is great news and it means thousands more babies were spared the serious health consequences of an early birth,” said March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse.  “This sustained improvement over these past six consecutive years shows that when infant health becomes a priority, babies benefit. We thank our many state and local health department and hospital partners and physicians and nurses for their dedication to the health of moms and babies. With their continued support, and with the right policies and bold leadership, we look forward to  continued health improvements for newborns. We will continue to implement proven interventions and accelerate our investment in new research to prevent preterm birth so one day every baby will get a healthy start in life. ”

source:  http://www.marchofdimes.com/news/us-preterm-birth-rate-declines-for-6th-consecutive-year-says-federal-report.aspx