Over 120 people from across the country took part in our PLRG Teardrop Study Day which was held on 09 October 2026 in collaboration with the Centre for Midwifery Education at Cork University Maternity Hospital.

As Baby Loss Awareness Week begins, we wish to take the opportunity to highlight some of the activities that we will be engaging in over the course of the week – as part of our ongoing efforts to effect change in policy and practice around all forms of pregnancy and infant loss.

Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Caroline O’Connor and Marita Hennessy recently attended the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua)’s 42^nd International Conference and presented a range of research on behalf of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group.

The Health Service Executive’s National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) has launched a new e-learning programme to support staff across all maternity services in the delivery of compassionate, evidence-informed and person-centred care for people experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. 'Supporting people experiencing pregnancy and infant loss' is available via www.hseland.ie.

The College of Medicine and Health at University College Cork hosted its Annual Research and Innovation Conference on Wednesday, 02 September. Under the theme ‘Advancing Health: Translating Discovery to Care’, the conference celebrated the breadth and quality of research and innovation taking place across the College and explored how research excellence can inform clinical practice, shape policy and deliver meaningful impact for patients and communities.

The HSE's National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP), in collaboration with the Pregnancy Loss Research Group (PLRG), has launched a new resource for clinicians and people needing information about termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly. Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Anomaly provides accessible, evidence-informed information on clinical practice, legislation, care pathways and sources of support.

The New Directions in Miscarriage Research: Interdisciplinary, Intersectional and Full-Spectrum Perspectives conference – hosted by the Feminist Miscarriage Project – brought together almost 80 researchers, clinicians and practitioners, artists, activists and campaigners, from across the UK, Europe, Canada and the US.

Congratulations to Dr Brendan Fitzgerald who is one of the 39 new Clinical Professors appointed at the College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork. Dr Fitzgerald is a Consultant Perinatal Pathologist at Cork University Hospital (CUH) and member of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group. 

The Pregnancy Loss Research Group welcomes the approval by Cabinet of a proposal from the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, to draft a Leave for Pregnancy Loss Bill.

A new national information booklet is being launched to explain the legal and clinical realities of Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) in Ireland following the introduction of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. Developed as a plain-language guide, it sets out what the law provides for and how services are organised and delivered in real-world care settings.