New Australian guidelines for miscarriage and early pregnancy loss releasedBy Olivia Willis for The Health ReportABC Health & WellbeingTopic:Pregnancy and Childbirth1h ago1 hours agoMon 12 May 2025 at 9:00pmAround 85 per cent of miscarriages occur in the first trimester of pregnancy. (Getty Images: Tom Merton)In short:New national guidelines for the treatment of early pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, have been published.The guidelines include an updated definition of recurrent miscarriage, which is now defined as two non-consecutive miscarriages.What's next?Experts say improved data collection and medical research will help to improve understanding of early pregnancy loss and support for those affected.abc.net.au/news/miscarriage-early-pregnancy-loss-national-guidelines-australia/105281702Link copiedShareShare articleAustralia's first comprehensive national guidelines for the treatment of early pregnancy loss have been welcomed by women's health experts.The clinical guidelines, developed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RANZCOG), are designed to provide a benchmark for best practice medical care."We don't actually have a standard of care for miscarriage in Australia because every health service does something slightly different and every clinician probably does something slightly different," Nisha Khot, obstetrician and president-elect of RANZCOG, said.Loading...Early pregnancy loss is common in Australia; it's estimated up to one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, and more than 100,000 couples are affected by miscarriage every year.The clinical guidelines, published in late April, provide recommendations for the treatment of miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy up to 14 weeks gestation.Ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilised egg implants and grows outside the uterus.Dr Khot said in addition to providing health professionals with up-to-date evidence on the medical and surgical management of pregnancy loss, the guidelines were about ensuring empathy was "central to all the care we provide".Dr Nisha Khot is president-elect of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (Supplied)Among the recommendations is a new definition of recurrent miscarriage, which was previously defined as a woman having three consecutive miscarriages."[The new guidelines] have very specifically said that it is two miscarriages and they don't need to be consecutive for women to be able to access further testing to find out the cause," Dr Khot said.Isy Oderberg, co-founder of the Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition, said the guidelines would go a long way to supporting women and families who experience early pregnancy loss."The time to just tell patients to go home and try again is over," Ms Oderberg said."We need to offer patients proper care, proper oversight, let them know they're not alone, and not compound any grief they are already feeling with substandard care or a lack of empathy."Tackling stigma and silence around miscarriageMs Oderberg, who had seven miscarriages on her way to having two living children, said miscarriage care varied significantly across the country and often came down to luck."There are times when you go and seek care and you have an incredible, empathetic, knowledgeable clinician who can give you the right guidance and treat you well, both from a medical point of view but also in terms of empathy," she said."But there are many, many horror stories."It varies wildly and it gets worse when the person is from a marginalised or minority group, or if they're in a regional or rural area."Culturally, there has long been a discomfort around early pregnancy loss, she said, which has contributed to poor understanding of patients' needs and how to best support them."We've seen a lot of doctors be dismissive … because it's just seen as a natural part of the reproductive cycle, which to some extent it is, but that doesn't lessen the grief."A global review of evidence in 2021 found the impact and consequences of miscarriage were "underestimated". It called for a comprehensive overhaul of the medical care and advice offered to women who have miscarriages.If you or someone you know needs help:Red Nose Grief and Loss 24/7 Support Line on 1300 308 307Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (advice from maternal child health nurses) on 1800 882 436PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia) on 1300 726 306Bears of Hope (infant loss support for families) on 1300 114 673The new Australian guidelines recommend that communication with patients is "clear, empathetic and respectful" and that health professionals take care with terminology and use of certain phrases when discussing early pregnancy loss."If the patient refers to their loss as a baby, [doctors] have to take that lead and refer to it in the same way," Ms Oderberg said."It compounds a patient's grief if they don't take that lead, and use words like 'spontaneous abortion', which is still commonly used by a lot of doctors."Investing in research and dataIn 2024, the federal government committed $9.5 million to miscarriage support and research, including funding a scoping study for a national miscarriage data collection.Ms Oderberg said it was important to understand where early pregnancy loss occurred, who was most affected, and whether rates were increasing.Terry speaks about experiencing 10 miscarriages in just three yearsPhoto shows An arrangement of small white and pink baby clothes Sydney's Royal Hospital for women helps other parents who are experiencing perinatal loss. "The reason we need miscarriage data is because you can't create any sort of health policy without knowing who you're creating it for, where they are, how many people need the service … it's a fundamental plank of any decent policy."The Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition is now hoping to develop a national miscarriage road map, similar to the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan, in order to look long-term at patient pathways, quality of care, and research funding."A lot of what happens in this space of early pregnancy loss is not well understood because it is not well researched," Dr Khot said."That is because there hasn't been funding for research in this area."In addition to further research, she said more psychological support was needed for women and families experiencing early pregnancy loss."Whether that be counselling or mental health support, these are things women should have access to without additional costs."Listen to the full story on Radio National and subscribe to the Health Report podcast for more.Health in your inboxGet the latest health news and information from across the ABC.Your information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 1h ago1 hours agoMon 12 May 2025 at 9:00pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)If you need someone to talk to, call:Lifeline on 13 11 14Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36Headspace on 1800 650 890QLife on 1800 184 527Top StoriesChild safety staff looking for missing 14yo did 'safety' check with child sex abuserTopic:Child AbusePhoto shows Saachi at the beach.Liberal leadership race goes down to the wire as Nats weigh net zeroTopic:Federal GovernmentPhoto shows Sussan Ley, David Littleproud, Angus Taylor, Peter Dutton QT 20221027_041653670_iOSAlbanese shifts Plibersek from environment in favour of 'can-do' WattMAnalysis by Michelle GrattanPhoto shows anthony albanese points towards reporters outside parliament house in canberraWhy the Reserve Bank is wary of rocketing real estate pricesIAnalysis by Ian VerrenderPhoto shows A man walks past two terrace housesPM's new ministry to be sworn in, Chalmers admits frontbench dumping 'messy'LIVEPhoto shows A close-up of Jim Chalmers in front of a black background. 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