What follow-up care is recommended for parents who have experienced a stillbirth, and how can I facilitate their access to support services?

For parents who have experienced a stillbirth (intrauterine fetal death), follow-up care should include comprehensive support and information.

• Emotional and Physical Support: Offer support to women, their partners, and family to help them cope with the emotional and physical consequences of the death ².
• Information on Specialist Support: Provide information about specialist support services ².
• Practical Arrangements: Discuss and provide written information on practical arrangements needed after the death of their child ⁴. This should cover the care of the body, relevant legal considerations (such as the involvement of the coroner and registration of the death), funeral arrangements, and post-mortem examination if applicable ⁴.
• Bereavement Support: Discuss the available bereavement support with parents and carers, and provide them with written information ⁴. This includes talking to them about available psychological bereavement support groups ⁴.
• Professional Bereavement Support: Offer bereavement support from a professional with appropriate expertise to the parents or carers both before and after the death ⁴.

To facilitate their access to support services, you can:

• Ensure that parents are offered information about specialist support services ².
• Provide written materials detailing practical arrangements and available bereavement support options ⁴.
• Inform parents about psychological bereavement support groups and how to access them ⁴.
• When planning bereavement support, consider the role of the GP and other healthcare professionals who know the family, and ensure the multidisciplinary team is informed about the support plan ⁴.