October is Infant Loss Awareness Month

As October whirls by and millions of children around the country get their Halloween costumes ready to go, there are many parents out there who will just have to imagine what Halloween would be like with their child that is no longer living. October is Infant Loss Awareness Month and below we discuss some details about these types of losses.

The loss of a child stings that much more during the holidays, as parents consider all the “what if’s”. Would my child be into Dinosaurs? Would my son play baseball like his dad? Would my daughter play the piano like her mom? All those “what if’s” never go away.

Marisa Brahney from News 12 has reported on this topic over the last few October’s and has done an amazing job highlighting some helpful New Jersey organizations. You can view them here.

Stillborn

A stillborn baby is defined as a child who passes away in the womb or is unable to be resuscitated. Typically this is after 20 weeks of gestation all the way up to full term. Every year 24,000 children are born stillborn and are about ten times more common than SIDS these days. There is not enough science to understand why a stillborn happens however some healthy pregnancy tips include quit smoking (if you already do), sleeping on your side during the third trimester, monitoring your child’s movements and continuing going to doctor exams.

Miscarriage

A miscarriage is something that can occur within the first 20 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy, leading to early infant loss. According to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 10 – 25 percent of all pregnancies will result in miscarriage. Although the cause of a miscarriage is not directly known at this time, some symptoms may include, mild to severe back pain, weight loss, true contractions and a decrease in signs of pregnancy.