Publication
Identifying Key Areas to Improve Care for Families Around the Time of Stillbirth or Neonatal Death: A Survey of Maternity Services in Australia
Loughnan S, Horey D, Wojcieszek A, Andrews C, Gautam R, Carty M, Ellwood D, Forbes M, Gordon A, Jennings B, Lohan A, Laporte J, Seeho S, Shand A, Boyle F, Flenady V · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · 2026
This article focuses on assessing the alignment of Australian hospital-based maternity services’ practices following perinatal death—including stillbirth and neonatal death—with evidence-based recommendations and aspirational targets outlined in the Clinical Practice Guideline for Care Around Stillbirth and Neonatal Death (CASaND). A web-based survey of 108 maternity services revealed that alignment with bereavement care recommendations ranged from 62% to 93%, while alignment with investigation, classification, and mortality audit recommendations varied more widely (29% to 94%), with lower adherence to aspirational targets such as parental engagement in mortality audits. Only 25% of services had a designated bereavement midwife, and 39% rated their bereavement care training as less than satisfactory or inadequate. The study highlights the need for targeted improvements in bereavement care training and perinatal mortality audit processes, particularly enhancing parent involvement and communication of autopsy findings.
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.