Miscarriage should be recognized as a bereavement, and not as an illness, during the first 6 months of pregnancy, argues psychiatrist Nathan Hodson in correspondence published online in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health.
Some MPs have called for the UK to follow New Zealand's example and introduce bereavement leave for pregnancy loss at any stage. But prime minister Boris Johnson has signaled that he has no intention of changing UK law.
Miscarriage
A miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is the spontaneous loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy.
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‘Miscarriage should be recognized as bereavement, as many parents will need time off work. Stop treating those before 6 months as an illness and award statutory bereavement leave.’
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The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2020 allows for 2 weeks' statutory bereavement leave for a stillbirth after 24 weeks and for the loss of a child up to the age of 18 in the UK.
Parents in these circumstances are also entitled to take maternity or shared parental leave planned before the stillbirth, allowing them weeks or months to recover from their loss, points out Dr Hodson.
![Stress and Miscarriage]( "Stress and Miscarriage")
New research indicates that too much stress could lead to miscarriage. What are the risk factors to avoid? Read on to know more!
But those who miscarry before 24 weeks have no such rights, added to which the miscarriage is regarded as an illness, with entitlement to sick leave. And if this lasts longer than 7 days, a formal sick note from a doctor is required.
"This policy creates an arbitrary cliff edge at 24 weeks," added to which the evidence shows that few women who miscarry are aware of their employment rights, insists Dr Hodson.
The number of miscarriages occurring in the UK each year is unknown as is the amount of sick leave taken for them, potentially exposing private companies to unknown costs for employee miscarriage at any stage, he acknowledges.
But one way of limiting these costs would be to introduce 1 week of statutory bereavement leave when miscarriage occurs after the 12 week scan. "Miscarriage risk after 12 weeks is less than 1% so this policy would be highly targeted with a less uncertain price tag," he explains.
And within 2 or 3 years there should be sufficient data from New Zealand to estimate the impact of the policy, which was introduced in March this year. This allows women and partners 3 days of paid leave, irrespective of how long the woman had been pregnant, but excluding abortions.
But in any case, "miscarriage should as far as possible be recognized as bereavement, not sickness, and many parents will need time off work afterwards," writes Dr Hodson.
"Leave following first-trimester miscarriage should be prioritized when New Zealand has published data. But whatever approach is taken with regard to early miscarriages, the cliff edge at 24 weeks is a stark injustice demanding remedy."
Source: Eurekalert
Stress and Miscarriage
New research indicates that too much stress could lead to miscarriage. What are the risk factors to avoid? Read on to know more!
Advertisement
But those who miscarry before 24 weeks have no such rights, added to which the miscarriage is regarded as an illness, with entitlement to sick leave. And if this lasts longer than 7 days, a formal sick note from a doctor is required.
"This policy creates an arbitrary cliff edge at 24 weeks," added to which the evidence shows that few women who miscarry are aware of their employment rights, insists Dr Hodson.
The number of miscarriages occurring in the UK each year is unknown as is the amount of sick leave taken for them, potentially exposing private companies to unknown costs for employee miscarriage at any stage, he acknowledges.
But one way of limiting these costs would be to introduce 1 week of statutory bereavement leave when miscarriage occurs after the 12 week scan. "Miscarriage risk after 12 weeks is less than 1% so this policy would be highly targeted with a less uncertain price tag," he explains.
And within 2 or 3 years there should be sufficient data from New Zealand to estimate the impact of the policy, which was introduced in March this year. This allows women and partners 3 days of paid leave, irrespective of how long the woman had been pregnant, but excluding abortions.
But in any case, "miscarriage should as far as possible be recognized as bereavement, not sickness, and many parents will need time off work afterwards," writes Dr Hodson.
"Leave following first-trimester miscarriage should be prioritized when New Zealand has published data. But whatever approach is taken with regard to early miscarriages, the cliff edge at 24 weeks is a stark injustice demanding remedy."
Source: Eurekalert
Drug Used to Prevent Miscarriage Increases Cancer Risk in Offspring
A new study reviewed the effect of a drug on offspring as things that happen in the womb are the important risk factors for developing cancer in the later period of life.
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Study Shows How Our Immune System may Help Prevent MiscarriageA class of immune cells that plays a key role in miscarriage has been discovered by researchers. Miscarriage affects about a quarter of pregnancies. | Advertisement
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