Members of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group shared research on various aspects of termination of pregnancy at a one-day conference hosted by the ReproCit Project titled ‘After the Review: What Next for Irish Abortion Services?’. Research presented included healthcare professionals’ knowledge and clinical practice, fetal anomaly diagnosis and termination of pregnancy, women and men’s experiences of pregnancy with fetal anomaly, and a review of the first three years of inpatient service.

The Perinatal Pathology Team at Cork University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital were highly commended for their project titled “Development of a Novel Specialist Perinatal Medical Scientist Programme” under the Innovation in Service Delivery Category at the 2023 Health Services Excellence Awards. The Team travelled to Dublin on 05 October to present their project at the selection event in Dr Steeven’s Hospital.

This Baby Loss Awareness Week, the Pregnancy Loss Research Group has launched a ‘Call to Action’ to increase awareness and action around pregnancy loss. Titled ‘Why don’t we talk about pregnancy loss?’, the document outlines key statistics around the incidence of pregnancy loss in Ireland.

Members of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group presented a range of work from the Group at the 2023 ISPID International Conference held in Florence from 05-08 October.

Dr Brendan Fitzgerald, Consultant Perinatal Pathologist at Cork University Hospital, presented two papers on second trimester miscarriage at the recent Annual Meeting of the Paediatric Pathology Society. This work forms part of the perinatal pathology strand of research at the Pregnancy Loss Research Group.

We held a Stillbirth Webinar “Stillbirth Matters – Prevention, Investigation, Management, and Care Webinar⁠” in conjunction with the Institute of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland on 04 October 2023. 

Members of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group attended and presented at the UCC College of Medicine and Health (CoMH) Futures Research Conference on 21 September.

Congratulations to Caroline Joyce who recently obtained Fellowship (by examination) of the Royal College of Pathologists London.

Congratulations to Marita Hennessy PhD who was recently awarded a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship by the Irish Research Council (IRC). During her two-year fellowship, Marita will develop and pilot test a psychosocial intervention for staff in maternity hospitals/units in Ireland under the mentorship of Professor Keelin O’Donoghue.

The TEARDROP has become the recognised symbol of pregnancy loss at Cork University Maternity Hospital. Initially designed in 2009 as a communication tool for multidisciplinary staff to alert colleagues when a pregnancy loss had occurred, the TEARDROP has evolved from a discreet alert symbol to one which promotes excellence in perinatal bereavement care.