MATERNAL VIEWS OF THE MANAGEMENT OF FETAL REMAINS FOLLOWING EARLY MISCARRIAGE

Objective: Recommendations for the sensitive management of perinatal a nd late pregnancy deaths are now widely applied. This study assessed m anagement experiences and preferences of women who had an early miscar riage to ascertain if current practices are acceptable to these women. Method: Women who had experienced a first trimester miscarriage in th e previous year and had attended hospital were identified from hospita l and GP records. They were interviewed using a semi-structural format (N = 27) and asked about their own experiences and opinions regarding viewing the foetus following miscarriage and making burial arrangemen ts. Results: Most women did not see their miscarried foetus (85%) or k now what burial arrangements had been made for the foetus (92%). Prefe rences regarding these issues were varied but all women felt that pare nts should be consulted. Conclusions: Recommendations on specific arra ngements for the viewing of and disposal of remains following early mi scarriage may be secondary to the provision of choice for the parents involved.