Doctors call on NHS to offer women more help after first miscarriage

Women who lose a baby during pregnancy should be offered help after having one miscarriage rather than the three currently needed to trigger NHS support, doctors say.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) wants the NHS to overhaul its rules so that any woman who suffers a miscarriage receives some form of care, mainly information and guidance, to help them cope with their loss and plan future pregnancies.

Anyone who has two miscarriages should automatically be offered an appointment for an initial investigation at a specialist miscarriage clinic and a more in-depth exploration of their health after losing a child after conception three times, the college says in a new medical guideline.

“Miscarriage is a distressing, shocking and traumatic experience for many women and their partners. For too long the topic has been under-researched and the care for women and their partners under-resourced,” said Dr Edward Morris, the president of the RCOG.

“We believe women should access appropriate and standardised care after their first miscarriage and that is why we are endorsing the graded model for miscarriage care in this guideline.”

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Source: The Guardian, 19 October 2021