News
A page that highlights snippets of news that you might otherwise miss.
4 January 2017
BJOG reviews our new learning resources
In the section ‘Insights from outside BJOG’, the editors comment on our online learning resources:
‘Caring for women and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss
‘This series of six films, developed by the Miscarriage Association in the UK, has been designed specifically to help health professionals to provide supportive care to women and their partners experiencing pregnancy loss and are based on recommendations provided in the NICE guideline for the diagnosis and management of early pregnancy loss.
‘Each short film is freely available and is accompanied by links to further training materials. The films cover: the ambulance call-out; in A&E; the GP surgery; at the booking-in scan; talking about management of miscarriage; talking about the sensitive disposal of pregnancy remains.
‘Additional resources emphasise making sure NHS Trust-specific knowledge is up-to-date, considerations around the language that should be used, discussing what might happen next, not making assumptions, thinking about important practicalities, considering everyone’s needs.
‘Available online at: www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk.’
We hope they will prove useful for many readers.
Source: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Volume 124, Issue 1, (page 17) published online 23 December 2016. DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.14482.
27 October 2015
New RCN guidance on the disposal of pregnancy remains
The Royal College of Nursing today launched updated guidance on how nurses and midwives can effectively manage the disposal of pregnancy remains.
The updated guidance aims to help nurses and midwives ensure they have the right systems and processes in place to safely dispose of pregnancy remains according to the personal wishes of the woman and, where appropriate, her partner.
There is no doubt that this can be a difficult topic to discuss with patients. You’ll find our thoughts and suggestions about how best to manage this here.
September 15 2015:
New guidance re miscarriage diagnosis
The diagnosis of miscarriage can be deeply distressing, especially if it also comes as a complete shock. What it must also be, however, is absolutely accurate, and that can mean having to wait a week or more for a further scan – something many women find very hard to bear.
New research published in the British Medical Journal confirms that scans may well need to be repeated at longer intervals than currently done in order to be absolutely certain of the diagnosis of miscarriage. The embedded brief video interview with Professor Tom Bourne explains the research and its implications.
While implementation of these findings may well increase anxiety and distress for those waiting for a repeat scan, it is better by far than making a mistake and actively ending a pregnancy which might otherwise survive. The BMJ’s editorial comment, below, reflects on that difficult balance.
[Click on the image to enlarge it.]
You may also like to read the Guardian report on this research – if only for the public comments section, ranging from appreciative to suspicious, and from distressing personal posts to the simply unsympathetic…
29.9.15