BBC works with Tommy’s to raise awareness of unacceptable levels of miscarriage care in new series

Throughout February, the BBC has released a 3-part special report focusing on the unacceptable levels of care and support for parents who have experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage.  

The series follows our Miscarriage Matters research, published in the Lancet last year, by our experts at the National Centre for Miscarriage Research. It laid bare the devastating impact of miscarriage and set out clear recommendations on how care and treatment should be improved to end the postcode lottery for families going forward. 

Since then, we’ve been calling for the Government to address the disparities faced by families across the UK. This new report from the BBC helps us to further raise awareness of this urgent need for change.

Tackling inequalities in miscarriage care 

The first report looked at the health inequalities faced by Black women who are at a 40% higher risk of miscarriage, and 4 times more likely to die in childbirth than White women. Journalist Tulip Mazumdar spoke to Tommy’s experts Prof Arri Coomarasamy and Prof Siobhan Quenby, from our National Centre for Miscarriage Research, about their ongoing work to help tackle this.

Prof Arri Coomarasamy, Director of Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research, said:

The team are currently working on a new app as part of our ‘Equality in Miscarriage and Pregnancy Care’ project. The digital tool will help calculate the risk of miscarriage based on a person’s information, such as ethnicity and whether they’ve previously experienced loss. It will then provide evidence-based advice on personalised changes that could help lower their risks.  

We’re also pleased to be a part of the new Maternity Disparities Taskforce which has been set up to improve care for pregnant people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those living in deprived areas.

Speaking out for dads and partners 

The second feature, released on 15 February, investigated the lack of support available for dads and partners following a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. It included an interview with podcast Dad Still Standing, which was set up by a pair of dads who wanted to encourage other partners to speak out and share their experiences of baby loss.   

From our research, we know dads and partners of someone who has miscarried also suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress in the months following loss. However, partners feelings and health is often overlooked. We know this isn’t good enough which is why we’re calling for better access to mental health support for all parents.  

We’re also developing tailored resources for dads and partners to support them throughout the pregnancy journey, including real stories of partners’ experiences, and a host of information to build a supportive community. This will be launching in the summer.  

Miscarriage and mental health 

The final part in the series will focus on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the impact miscarriage has on mental health – look out for updates on our social media for when this feature appears.  

Our research found early pregnancy loss has deep psychological effects on both parents, doubling the risk of depression and quadrupling the risk of suicide. That’s why we’re calling for mental health support to be offered after every miscarriage to those who need it. It’s vital we keep raising awareness of this important issue so we can continue to discover new treatments and insights through research being conducted at our National Centre for Miscarriage Research. You can find out more about the latest projects the team are working on here.

If you’ve experienced baby loss, we’re always here for you. You can find our online information and support resources here.