Pregnancy Loss Research Group | University College Cork

Pregnancy Loss Research Group

We lead national research to better understand pregnancy loss experiences and impacts, and the development of resources and evidence-based advice and interventions, to improve health care (quality) and health and social outcomes for women, babies and their families.

Research spotlights

PLACES report published

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth commissioned the Pregnancy Loss Research Group to examine the workplace experiences and support needs of people who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks gestation. Read more about the PLACES project, and resulting report which was published by Minister Roderic O'Gorman TD on January 26, 2024.

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Share your feedback

In June last year we published our first graphic narrative - Why my baby died. We'd really like to hear what you think about it. We have put a feedback form on our website; please share your thoughts if you can. Your feedback will help us to develop this work and other similar projects as part of our efforts to improve experiences and outcomes.

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Why don't we talk about pregnancy loss?

We have produced an infographic to enhance advocacy and awareness around pregnancy loss - including key statistics and information for Ireland. Launched during Baby Loss Awareness Week 2023, we will use this resource to advocate for enhanced structures, supports and resourcing for pregnancy loss, and hope it will be useful to others also.

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The difference our work makes

Read our case study: Informing national clinical guidelines in pregnancy loss

The updated guidelines on different aspects of pregnancy loss – and the first national guideline on recurrent miscarriage – are an important step in standardising and enhancing services nationally.

Professor Keelin O'Donoghue

Clinical Lead for Guideline Development (Maternity and Gynaecology), NWIHP, and Lead, Pregnancy Loss Research Group

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Pregnancy loss supports

About our website

Through our website, we aim to share pregnancy loss research with a wide range of people, including researchers, health and social care professionals, people who have experienced pregnancy loss, policy-makers and many more. There are organisations and initiatives across Ireland, and beyond, which provide support services around different aspects and types of pregnancy loss. We include details of these on this website for your information.

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News and Media

Dr Aziza Khalid presenting at JOGS 2024 in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

02 Dec 2024

PLRG well-represented at JOGS 2024

The PLRG was well-represented at the Junior Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society (JOGS) Annual Scientific Meeting 2024 – “Together Towards Tomorrow: Innovations in Obstetrics & Gynaecology”. Together, the team delivered one oral and 12 poster presentations at the event which took place on 29 November in Dublin.

Dr Laura Linehan speaking at the Collective Social Futures Festival of Social Science in the Aula Maxima UCC, accompanied by Zara Harnett

27 Nov 2024

Showcasing research at the Collective Social Futures Festival of Social Science at UCC

The second annual Collective Social Futures Festival of Social Science took place at UCC on 25-26 November. Members of the PLRG were delighted to attend and present at this event, themed 'Social Science Matters: innovation, co-production and transformation'.

Professor Fran Baum, Professor of Health Equity at The Stretton Institute, University of Adelaide, speaking at the 17th European Public Health Conference

19 Nov 2024

17th European Public Health Conference update

Dr Sara Leitao attended the 17th European Public Health Conference 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal from 13-15 November, presenting work from a range of projects. Sara presented findings from the PLACES project on workers’ experiences of pregnancy loss and a systematic review of healthcare professionals and students’ knowledge on termination of pregnancy. She also presented a poster on perinatal mortality in women in minority ethnic groups in Ireland (2011-2021), work which was led by Laura Robinson, a final year medical student at UCC, using data from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC).

17 Nov 2024

Focusing on workplace supports and staff training at the European Grief Conference 2024

Professor Keelin O’Donoghue and Marita Hennessy PhD recently attended and presented at the European Grief Conference in Dublin. Marita gave an oral presentation on how we can we better support people who experience pregnancy loss under 24 weeks in the workplace, on behalf of the PLACES project team.

Acknowledgement

This website was developed through the support of an Irish Research Council New Foundations Award, with the Irish Hospice Foundation as civic society partner.