Six Essential Facts Regarding Incidents of Stillbirths
The heartbreaking reality of infant loss is a topic that has gained renewed attention, with approximately 21,000 babies being stillborn in the United States in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This statistic underscores the urgent need for increased awareness, understanding, and support for families who have experienced this profound loss.
One in 170 pregnancies that reach 20 weeks in the United States results in stillbirth, making it 1,000 times more common than losing a child during pregnancy due to the foodborne illness listeriosis. These numbers, while staggering, only begin to highlight the emotional toll that such losses can have on families.
Heather Florescue, MD, FACOG, an Obstetrics & Gynecology provider at Highland Hospital and medical advisor at the Star Legacy Foundation, has been at the forefront of raising awareness about infant loss. She underscores the psychological burden that stillbirth and infant loss carry, often overlooked but profound in its impact. Grief can lead to lasting emotional and mental health challenges for parents and families.
The Star Legacy Foundation, an organisation dedicated to stillbirth and neonatal death prevention and support, echoes Dr. Florescue's sentiments. They emphasise the importance of creating support systems and communities that acknowledge and address the grief of infant loss. This includes providing education to healthcare providers and families to improve understanding and compassionate care during such losses.
Both Dr. Florescue and the Star Legacy Foundation advocate for increased public and medical education about infant loss to reduce stigma and isolation families may feel. This can promote kinder, more supportive environments for grieving parents.
While specific clinical guidelines for coping and healing may vary, the focus is on recognising infant loss as a significant health and emotional event that requires both medical attention and psychological support.
In her efforts to share stillbirth prevention and awareness information, Dr. Florescue emphasises the importance of allowing families who have lost a child to speak about their child. She believes that doing so can help greatly with the healing process. Ensuring the stories of these families are heard by a comforting ear is a crucial part of her work.
Dr. Florescue's dedication to this cause has been recognised, with her being awarded the 2024 Physician of the Year award from the Western New York Perinatal Bereavement Network.
In supporting someone who has lost a child, friends and loved ones can play a vital role. Simply inquiring about the child's name, asking to see a photo, and acknowledging milestones like birthdays and holidays can provide comfort and help in the healing process.
As we strive to create a more compassionate world, it is essential to remember the profound impact of infant loss and the need for sensitive, informed, and compassionate responses from both healthcare systems and communities. The message conveyed by Dr. Heather Florescue and the Star Legacy Foundation is clear: we must come together to support families affected by infant loss, ensuring they are never alone in their grief.
- Dr. Heather Florescue, in her efforts to raise awareness about infant loss, stresses the need for families who have lost a child to share their stories, as it can aid in the healing process, making it a crucial part of her work.
- To promote a kinder, more supportive environment for grieving parents and families, organizations like the Star Legacy Foundation advocate for increased public and medical education about infant loss, aiming to reduce stigma and isolation.
- Recognizing that infant loss is a significant health and emotional event that requires both medical attention and psychological support, Heather Florescue, an Obstetrics & Gynecology provider, believes that mental health and family health are essential aspects of health and wellness, especially in instances of stillbirth and neonatal death.
