Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

STANLEY (—) (): I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) October was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and that Sunday 15 October 2024 marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day; and

(b) this day acknowledges the shared loss experienced by parents, friends, and healthcare workers of those little ones lost too soon whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or any other loss;

(2) acknowledges:

(a) that there is a significant impact on families who have lost a baby;

(b) that every year 110,000 Australians experience a miscarriage, more than 2,000 experience stillbirth, and almost 700 lose a baby within the first 28 days;

(c) that stillbirth occurrence is higher in Aboriginal and culturally diverse communities; and

(d) all families who have experienced loss, either recently or over time; and

(3) commends the Government for providing $5.1 million to organisations to support women and families following stillbirth or miscarriage.

I'm a mum of five: three boys aged 36 and 30, and a boy and a girl who died 38 and 32 years ago. When asked about my children, I don't always add Michael and Meaghan, not because they are no longer part of our family and certainly not because I don't think of them regularly, but because I don't always have the ability to talk to people who haven't suffered the loss of a pregnancy through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal loss. Reactions are wide and varied. In the early days I felt like people shied away from me. I'm sure that was because they didn't know what to say, and for good reason—they just didn't know how to help. Acknowledging the loss and the child by name makes such a difference to a grieving family.

Ours is a club no-one wants to join, but this year more than 110,000 Australian mums will experience a miscarriage. October each year is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and Sunday 15 October was Remembrance Day, when families throughout this country light candles to acknowledge the babies who are thought of often but no longer take a place at the family table. Although Australia is one of the safest places in the world to give birth, around six babies are stillborn and two die within 28 days of birth in the neonatal stage, equating to around 3,000 perinatal deaths a year. Sometimes that's what makes the loss the hardest; there are so few of you and you rarely know someone in the same situation.

If you are an Indigenous mum or come from a CALD community, you are up to 50 per cent more likely to suffer pregnancy or baby loss. This figure is stubborn and hasn't changed in the eight years I've been in this place. Indeed, the figure has not substantially changed for 30 years. More research is needed. Better access to good, reliable prenatal care is also essential wherever you live.

The Albanese government, through the 2024-25 budget has dedicated $9.5 million to improve care and support provided to women and families experiencing miscarriage and early pregnancy loss. This included $1 million over two years to the Australian Institute of Welfare to undertake a miscarriage data-scoping study. The study will support work to better understand miscarriage and help to improve the support offered to women and their families, because if you don't know what's happening, you can't help. There will be $1.5 million over two years for a national audit of early pregnancy assessment service clinics—improved information can be used by GPs and other health professionals to ensure women experiencing pregnancy loss and other early pregnancy complications are referred to the proper specialist services where feasible. There is $1.5 million to develop miscarriage education and awareness resources, including public awareness and education programs. There is $5.5 million over four years for frontline miscarriage support services to provide evidence-based, culturally safe bereavement care, and support for women and families who have been impacted by miscarriage. Funding of $0.9 million over two years was also announced to continue to monitor and evaluate activities under the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan. This is building on funding from previous budgets, with a continuation of Red Nose Australia's Hospital to Home program, which provides services to more than 2,000 Australian families who experience stillbirth each year. There is funding to deliver high-quality, evidence-based bereavement care for women and families from high-risk population groups that have experienced stillbirth and miscarriage, especially for those from First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, families living in rural and remote areas, and women younger than 20. This also includes direct bereavement counselling and training for health professionals.

There are encouraging signs that the research will help families and babies reduce the rate of deaths and miscarriages every year. More importantly, families will feel and be more supported in their journey of loss. To every family whose babies are no longer with them, I share your pain and remember your loved ones and acknowledge them.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion brought by the honourable member for Werriwa. I thank her for bringing this important matter to the attention of the House and also for sharing her personal stories.

Every year, 15 October marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It acknowledges the shared loss experienced by parents, friends and healthcare workers of those little ones lost too soon, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or by any other loss. The day serves as a moving reminder of the universal sadness felt by parents, friends and healthcare professionals in the wake of the devastating loss of infants due to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or any other tragic event.

The joy and excitement that a much-hoped-for pregnancy brings, sadly ends in tragedy and grief for far too many Australians. Every year, 110,000 Australians experience a miscarriage, more than 2,000 experience stillbirth, and almost 700 lose a baby within the first 28 days. The recognition of these numbers underscores the gravity of the issue.

I have, sadly, witnessed friends endure the pain and loss, the absolute cruelty, that a miscarriage can bring. These are mostly endured in silence. Most miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a period when most expectant mothers are reluctant to share their news. They and their partner often then grieve together but alone, with the loss unacknowledged.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day serves as a sombre yet necessary moment for reflection and unity, transcending political boundaries and embodying a bipartisan sentiment. It acknowledges the pain that countless families endure across the nation, emphasising the importance of compassion, empathy and support in times of devastating loss. It's also an important day for the support services available for bereaved families, encouraging open discussion about these difficult topics and creating a sense of connection among individuals who have faced unimaginable grief.

My journey with my very premature babies brought me into contact with mothers and fathers suffering the loss of a child at the NICUs at various hospitals, including here at the Canberra Hospital. My husband, Michael, and I were very fortunate, 18 years ago, with our little miracles. However, I will never forget how close we came to a very different outcome. I vowed then that, at any opportunity, I would raise the issue of premature births, miscarriages and also infant loss.

Families undergoing these traumatic events need significant support. This year I was privileged to be able to attend a special memorial service at Woronora Memorial Park at Karinya children's garden. The service was highlighted by music, the lighting of candles and the release of white doves, and by some very courageous keynote speakers. I particularly mention the parents of Rafael, who lost their little son earlier this year. Parents of precious babies lost decades ago said, 'You never get over it. You just learn to live with it.'

Also present at the service were representatives from Bears of Hope. This organisation has a collection of teddy bears available for families who have suffered pregnancy or infant loss, because, for many of those families, they leave hospital with a suitcase instead of leaving with their brand-new baby. So Bears of Hope are there. They have three different types of bears, and they ensure that the family goes home with a package which includes a little bear, so that the family is not leaving the hospital with just their suitcase. The three bears are: Hope, which is recommended for families who have experienced the early loss of their baby, and this is the smallest bear. Sophie is recommended as best for families who have had the opportunity to see and hold their baby, including in circumstances of late miscarriage, stillbirth or loss shortly after birth, and Sophie is the middle-sized bear. Lastly, Xavier is most suitable for families who have experienced the loss of their baby in an intensive care or special care nursery or through infancy; he is the largest bear of hope in their family. I wanted to especially mention this organisation.

The loss of a child has a devastating impact on families, causing significant personal, social and financial consequences for parents. We need to continue to recognise and acknowledge that.

Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm at the stage of life when a lot of my children's friends are thinking about babies, having babies or trying to have babies. It's a time of great joy to my peers, the grandmothers and grandfathers. But it also means that I'm hearing of young women who are losing babies during pregnancy, and that makes it a time of real sadness and despair for some. While shifting attitudes mean that it's more likely to be spoken about now than when I was young, that doesn't change the pain that the loss brings.

No-one knows exactly how many miscarriages occur in Australia each year, but it's estimated that one in five confirmed pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and that's about 110,000 every year. Miscarriage or early pregnancy loss, which is the loss of a baby before 20-weeks gestation, are the most common complication of pregnancy and can be devastating and traumatic for women, their families and their support people. It's not hard to imagine how it can have lasting impacts on a woman's physical and mental health throughout her life. Devastatingly, one to two per cent of Australian women will experience three or more consecutive miscarriages, and that brings a lot of pain.

This is an area of health care where there's still a shortage of data and information, as well as still too much silence. I don't think it's a coincidence that a party with more women than men in parliament is building on what has already been done in the past to continue to try and change that. The last budget dedicated funding of $9.5 million over four years to improve the care and support provided to women and families who experience miscarriage and early pregnancy loss. It's things like a million dollars over two years for the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare to undertake a miscarriage data scoping study. The study will support work to better understand miscarriage and help improve the support offered to women and their families. There's funding for a national audit of the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service clinics, with the aim of improving information on the EPAS clinics so GPs and other health professionals can ensure that women experiencing pregnancy loss or other early pregnancy complications are referred to specialist services where that's feasible. It's things like $1.5 million to develop miscarriage education and awareness resources, including a public awareness and education program. It's $5.5 million over four years for frontline miscarriage support services to provide evidence based, culturally-safe bereavement care and support to women and families who've been impacted by miscarriage. I hope that through these measures we have a better understanding of pregnancy loss and can better support women and partners experiencing it.

The work of this parliament also continues supporting women experiencing stillbirth. Stillbirth can also be a horrible thing for women and their families to go through, resulting in ongoing grief, anxiety and depression, as well as the social and financial impacts. Australia is one of the safest places in the world to give birth, but, even so, around six babies are stillborn, and two die within 28 days of birth, equating to around 3,000 perinatal deaths per year. That's a lot of families who've lost their child. In 2022, there were 297,725 babies born in Australia, and 2,357 of these were stillbirths. While any pregnancy can result in stillbirth, rates remain higher among First Nations women, CALD communities, migrant and refugee groups, women living in rural and remote Australian and women younger than 20 years.

Australia has become a world leader in stillbirth awareness and prevention thanks to the work of many previous governments and leads the way in supporting parents and families. But there is still more to do. The evaluation of the stillbirth action plan from a few years ago shows that there have been concrete developments in prevention. Healthcare professionals are more consistent in offering investigations, but we know there's more to do. I know that, across the parliament, there's a deep commitment to ensuring we keep improving in this area.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made order of the day for the next sitting.