Pregnancy Companion
The Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Companion to Maternl
Intake
Start with the diagnosis
Pick a diagnosis from the list, or type the wording you were given on your notes or discharge summary. This page then shows two things and nothing else: what the current published evidence says about that diagnosis, and the references behind it.
You do not need to say whether the loss was a miscarriage, a stillbirth or a neonatal death. The diagnosis tells us which it was.
References and evidence-based resources
43 guidelines, systematic reviews, and reports published by professional bodies and global health agencies. Some require a subscription.
43 references
- Early Pregnancy Loss (Practice Bulletin, 2018) (ACOG) – clinical guidance on diagnosing and managing first-trimester pregnancy loss – View guideline (subscription may be required)
- Management of Stillbirth (Obstetric Care Consensus, 2020) (ACOG) – US consensus guidance on evaluation and management after stillbirth for obstetric clinicians – View guideline (subscription may be required)
- Stillbirth Clinical Care Standard (2022) (ACSQHC) – ten quality statements on stillbirth prevention and bereavement care for services and clinicians – View standard
- Recurrent pregnancy loss: a committee opinion (2026) (ASRM) – updated US guidance on definitions, evaluation and treatment after repeated pregnancy loss – View guidance (subscription may be required)
- AWHONN Perinatal Bereavement Resources (AWHONN) – toolkits and checklists for miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death – Visit AWHONN
- Recognising uncertainty: an integrated framework for palliative care in perinatal medicine (2024) (BAPM) – framework for perinatal palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care under prognostic uncertainty – View framework
- Aspirin or heparin or both for antiphospholipid antibodies and recurrent pregnancy loss (2020) (Cochrane) – free review summary of anticoagulant treatment for antiphospholipid-related recurrent loss – Read review
- Fetal movement counting for assessment of fetal wellbeing (2015) (Cochrane) – systematic review of fetal movement counting as a stillbirth prevention strategy – Read review (subscription may be required)
- Progestogen for preventing miscarriage in recurrent miscarriage of unclear etiology (2019) (Cochrane) – systematic review of progestogen treatment for unexplained recurrent miscarriage – Read review (subscription may be required)
- Support for mothers, fathers and families after perinatal death (2013) (Cochrane) – systematic review of interventions supporting parents bereaved by stillbirth or neonatal death – Read review (subscription may be required)
- Support for mothers, fathers and families after perinatal death: plain language summary (Cochrane) – free plain-language summary of bereavement support evidence for parents and clinicians – Read summary
- Pregnancy Loss Review (2023) (DHSC) – independent review recommending better care and support for loss before 24 weeks – Read review
- Recurrent pregnancy loss: guideline of the European Society of Human Reproduction (2023) (ESHRE) – European evidence-based recommendations on investigating and treating recurrent pregnancy loss – View guideline (subscription may be required)
- MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance: UK Perinatal Deaths of Babies Born in 2024 (MBRRACE-UK) – national surveillance report on stillbirth and neonatal death rates across the UK – Read report
- Infant Mortality and Pregnancy Loss professional resource guide (MCH Digital Library) – Curated professional resource guide on infant mortality and pregnancy loss – View guide
- Updated Position Statement: Palliative Care for the Fetus, Newborn, and Infant (NANN) – neonatal nursing guidance on palliative and end-of-life care in the NICU – View statement (subscription may be required)
- National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) – toolkits and standards for bereavement care after pregnancy loss or baby death – Download toolkit
- Stillbirth (NHS) – plain-language patient information on stillbirth causes, care afterwards and risk reduction – View guide
- Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management (NG126) (NICE) – diagnosis, management and support guidance for early pregnancy loss up to 13 weeks – View guideline
- End of life care for infants, children and young people with life-limiting conditions (NG61) (NICE) – planning and delivering end of life care for infants and their families – View guideline
- Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) (NPEU) – standardised national review tool for late miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death – Download toolkit
- Clinical Practice Guideline for Perinatal Mortality Audit (2009, second edition) (PSANZ) – audit, autopsy and classification guidance for investigating stillbirths and neonatal deaths – View guideline
- Late Intrauterine Fetal Death and Stillbirth (Green-top Guideline No. 55) (RCOG) – evidence-based options for women whose singleton baby has died before birth – View guideline (subscription may be required)
- Recurrent Miscarriage (Green-top Guideline No. 17) (2023) (RCOG) – investigation and treatment guidance for couples with repeated first or second trimester miscarriage – View guideline (subscription may be required)
- Sands resources for professionals (Sands) – training, guidance and research for staff caring for bereaved parents after baby loss – View resources
- Pregnancy Loss HUB for Health Care Providers (SOGC) – Canadian hub of guidelines, decision aids and bereavement resources for pregnancy loss – View guide
- Care Around Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Clinical Practice Guideline (Stillbirth CRE/PSANZ) – Clinical practice guideline for care around stillbirth and neonatal death – View guideline
- Miscarriage matters (2021) (The Lancet) – three-paper series rethinking miscarriage burden, mechanisms and care for clinicians worldwide – Read the series (subscription may be required)
- Stillbirths 2016: ending preventable stillbirths (The Lancet) – landmark five-paper series setting a global roadmap to eliminate preventable stillbirths – Read the series (subscription may be required)
- Perinatal Pathway for Babies with Palliative Care Needs (Together for Short Lives) – care pathway for babies with life-limiting conditions from antenatal diagnosis through death – View pathway (subscription may be required)
- CME Info: Child Mortality Estimates database (UN IGME) – official database of stillbirth, neonatal and child mortality estimates for every country – Open database
- Neonatal mortality (UNICEF) – global and country neonatal mortality estimates, methods and trend data for analysts – Open database
- Never Forgotten: The situation of stillbirth around the globe (UNICEF) – global stillbirth estimates report for advocates, policymakers and clinicians in every region – Read report
- Stillbirths and stillbirth rates (UNICEF) – country and global stillbirth rate estimates with definitions and downloadable datasets – Open database
- Every Newborn Action Plan (WHO) – global road map of strategic actions to end preventable newborn deaths and stillbirths – Visit WHO
- Improving maternal and newborn health and survival and reducing stillbirth: progress report (2023) (WHO) – joint WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA data report on global stillbirth and newborn mortality progress – Read report
- Making every baby count: audit and review of stillbirths and neonatal deaths (WHO) – practical guide for setting up perinatal death audit and review in any health system – Visit WHO
- Newborn mortality (WHO) – fact sheet with global neonatal death rates, causes and priority prevention strategies – Visit WHO
- Standards for improving quality of maternal and newborn care in health facilities (2016) (WHO) – eight quality-of-care standards for facilities providing maternal and newborn care worldwide – View standards
- Standards for maternal and neonatal care (IMPAC package) (WHO) – essential care standards leaflets for maternal and newborn services in low-resource facilities – View standards
- Survive and thrive: transforming care for every small and sick newborn (WHO) – global evidence and pathway for care of small and sick newborns to 2030 – Read report
- The WHO application of ICD-10 to deaths during the perinatal period: ICD-PM (2016) (WHO) – global classification system for stillbirths and neonatal deaths linked to maternal condition – View guide
- WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience (2022) (WHO) – global postnatal care recommendations covering bereavement and psychosocial support for families – Visit WHO