Supports available following pregnancy, infant loss

RED DEER – Parents and families dealing with pregnancy loss or infant death are reminded that supports are available to them through Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Red Deer Primary Care Network (RDPCN).

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, observed Oct. 15 in Alberta, acknowledges the grief of bereaved parents and demonstrates support to the many families who have suffered pregnancy loss and infant death through miscarriage, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

“Recognizing this day is important not only to support grieving parents, siblings and family members, but to also bring more awareness to this important issue,” says Sandi Sebastian, AHS Director of Women’s & Children’s Health Services at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

“In an effort to further support the parents and families we serve, we’ve connected with local municipalities to formally proclaim October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. We are very grateful for the support received by the community to honour and remember the babies lost.”

In Alberta, nearly 600 families experience a stillbirth or neonatal loss each year, with one in five pregnancies ending in miscarriage, according to the Alberta Perinatal Health Program.

Tonight at 7 p.m., landmarks in a number of communities across Alberta, including city hall in Red Deer, will be illuminated in pink and blue to recognize the day as part of the ‘wave of light’ and will stay lit overnight until sunrise.

Supports for families are available through the pregnancy and infant loss inpatient program at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre; outpatient programs are offered through AHS’ Addiction and Mental Health Enhanced Services for Women, and through the primary care network.

“We have offered a support group to over 100 participants since 2018,” says Lorna Milkovitch, Executive Director of the RDPCN. “We offer a program call HEARTS (Helping Empty Arms Recover Through Sharing) that helps families through the loss of their precious baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth, providing peer support and education.”

Additional information about supports regarding pregnancy and infant loss can be found online at ahs.ca and reddeerpcn.com.

RDPCN is a partnership between 85 local family physicians and AHS. Family physicians work with a team of other health professionals towards their vision of a healthy community where all people have access to innovative, comprehensive, appropriate and continuous care.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.