DC Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Support

Health professionals require more defined protocols, better funding and patient resources to support couples with recurrent pregnancy loss

Carolyn Ledowsky, Vanessa Scarf & Amie Steel

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ping #ReCurrentStudy

I wrote a little piece about our (maddening) lack of routine autopsies to actually figure out what causes stillbirth, but our routinization of those autopsies when the goal is to arrest a (marginalized) woman.

Fetal autopsies could help prevent stillbirths, but too often they are used to blame mothers for pregnancy loss The rate of stillbirth in the US is stubbornly high. Routine fetal autopsies for stillbirths can help reveal what’s causing them.

Autopsies are rare when the goal is general medical insight about the causes of stillbirth and pregnancy loss more generally, but they are seemingly routine when criminal consequences are possible, according to legal scholar. buff.ly/qw83y3E @jillwieberlens.bsky.social, University of Iowa

This means 3 increases in a year come January 2026.

Have a wonderful birthday!

A Mary Todd Lincoln fan that says “together in spirit forever in my heart” and a green baseball cap that says “dead inside” with a smiley face

Took a little support group field trip to Woolly Mammoth DC to see Riki Lindhome’s Dead Inside last night. It was so funny and had so much heart. I love this hat (and this amazing Mary Todd Lincoln fan from President Lincoln’s Cottage)! www.woollymammoth.net/productions/...

The Navy and Marine Corps Need a Policy on Pregnancy Loss The Navy does not have a formal policy guiding the response to pregnancy loss by a service member or a service member’s spouse.

US | The Navy and Marine Corps Need a Policy on Pregnancy Loss

By Captain John Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired)

www.usni.org/magazines/pr...

Ping #PLRG_PLACESproject

‘Back to the Dark Ages’: Education Research Staggered by Trump Cuts With contracts severed and grants rescinded, experts say Washington’s hit to K–12 research will set back the field for years.

‘Back to the Dark Ages’: Education Research Staggered by Trump Cuts

With contracts severed and grants rescinded, experts say Washington’s hit to K–12 research will set back the field for years. @the74.bsky.social

www.the74million.org/article/back...

A sweet dog. Found in Hill East and needs help.

A reader writes, “This dog who is in bad shape was found outside of the 14th street Safeway. The no kill shelters don’t open till noon. If you all have any tips or advice we would be grateful.”

Can anyone help?

Rethinking the Ethical and Legal Relationship Between IVF and Abortion

"The fundamental argument for IVF and abortion access is the same."

This Viewpoint discusses the ethical inconsistency in US policies that support in vitro fertilization (IVF) but not abortion.

https://ja.ma/44ftaCP

After Texas made performing abortions a felony, miscarriage became more dangerous. The number of blood transfusions in ED visits for first-trimester pregnancy loss shot up by 54%. My latest:

www.propublica.org/article/texa...

The Trump admin is withholding over $6 billion in education grants for schools The federal grant funding traditionally goes out by July 1. It includes support for migrant education, after-school programs and English language learners.

The federal grant funding traditionally goes out by July 1. It includes support for migrant education, after-school programs and English language learners.

A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage A new ProPublica data analysis adds to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of first-trimester miscarriage far more dangerous.

NEW: More women have nearly bled to death during miscarriage under Texas’ abortion ban.

Experts say the trend paints a troubling picture of the harms of unnecessary delays in care. “This is striking,” one doctor said. “The trend is very clear.”

Before states banned abortion, one of the gravest outcomes of early miscarriage could easily be avoided: Doctors could offer a dilation and curettage procedure, which quickly empties the uterus and allows it to close, protecting against a life-threatening hemorrhage.

'In [Western] society, we have a “moral duty” and “social obligation” for happiness. Each..."must contribute to the collective happiness by avoiding any cause for sadness... by appearing to be always happy, even if in...despair. By showing the least sign of sadness, one sins against happiness.'

Why Grief Is So Lonely Grief can be isolating. It’s difficult to talk about and our fragmented communities create obstacles to open sharing and storytelling.

Why Grief Is So Lonely | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/our-...

Fertility, time to pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes among women with recurrent miscarriages in the UK: a prospective observational longitudinal study Recurrent miscarriage is a debilitating disorder associated with considerable physical and psychological morbidity. An estimated 50% of first trimeste…

Fertility, time to pregnancy, & pregnancy outcomes among women with recurrent miscarriages in the UK: a prospective observational longitudinal study

Constandina Koki, Rebecca Shields, Rebecca Sweetman, James Boyle, Siobhan Quenby et al

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Ping #ReCurrentStudy

After their teens died, this couple made a phone booth for anyone coping with loss The “wind phone” was installed by Colin Campbell and Gail Lerner, whose children, Ruby and Hart Campbell, were killed by a drunk driver in 2019.

After their teens died, this couple made a phone booth for anyone coping with loss wapo.st/3Th7iR1

These dads lost everything, and then they found each other | CNN After Brad Bailey buried his stillborn son, his wife encouraged him to join Sad Dads Club, a nonprofit with peer-to-peer community and support for bereaved fathers.

“One of the stereotypes is that men want to fix things, but stillbirth is not a problem anyone can fix. The reality is that dads in these scenarios often get forgotten, and it’s important to create an environment where they can give their grief space.” edition.cnn.com/2025/06/13/h...

New research reveals the extent of the ‘pregnancy loss penalty’ for working women Women who experience pregnancy loss see a £4,000 drop in earnings in some cases.

New research reveals the extent of the ‘pregnancy loss penalty’ for working women who experience miscarriage

www.stylist.co.uk/health/pregn...

Ping #PLRG_PLACESproject

ACOG is deeply disappointed by HHS’s move to drop COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in pregnancy. The science is clear: COVID-19 remains dangerous in pregnancy and vaccination protects both patients and newborns. The vaccine is safe and protects families. Read our full statement: buff.ly/OGue7sO

“God, No, Not Another Case.” COVID-Related Stillbirths Didn’t Have to Happen. A lack of testing data and government guidance led many to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, unwittingly increasing their chances of a stillbirth.

And if you haven't read this shattering ProPublica piece about the effects of Covid on pregnancies, you should take a deep breath and do so:

Focussing on the origins of preterm birth: Why understanding aetiology is critical to optimising outcomes Preterm birth is a central determinant of infant morbidity and mortality. Efforts to reduce its incidence must address the disparate underlying causes.

Such a pleasure to share this paper as my inaugural post! A collaborative comment on the importance of understanding the multifactorial aetiology of preterm birth: dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

In the U.K., Police Are Being Trained to Find Abortion-Related Evidence in Women’s Phones Similar to the U.S., in the U.K., criminal investigations into pregnancy loss are on the rise. And now, police are receiving chilling guidance on how to surveil and build cases against women.

Similar to the U.S., in the U.K., criminal investigations into pregnancy loss are on the rise. And now, police are receiving chilling guidance on how to surveil and build cases against women.
www.jezebel.com/in-the-u-k-p...

Pregnancy alters the immune system and reduces lung capacity. This makes respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, much more dangerous.

Pregnant individuals face not only their own risks, but also risks to the fetus, including stillbirth.

Today marks two months since the Senate unanimously passed my bill with Senator Collins to fix the D.C. budget time bomb set off by House Republicans.

If they don't pass this bill, D.C. won't be able to use its OWN money to fund its OWN schools, public safety and more. They must act.

Woman Forced to Carry Fetus for Weeks Despite No Heartbeat: 'Your Womb Becomes a Tomb' (Exclusive) Due to strict abortion laws in South Carolina, Elisabeth Weber was denied a medical procedure to remove a fetus whose heart had stopped beating weeks earlier. Doctors told her she had to wait and misc...

Why did this woman in South Carolina have to wait two weeks to get a D&C after learning her baby didn't have a heartbeat? Thread below to explain why abortion bans are over broad and devastating miscarriage care. people.com/woman-forced...

Pulitzer Prizes Public Service Winner: ProPublica. Image (right) displays headline that reads: Their States Banned Abortion. Doctors Now Say They Can't Give Women Potentially Lifesaving Care.

JUST IN: ProPublica’s “Life of the Mother” series, which exposes the fatal consequences of abortion bans, has won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

This is the second consecutive year we’ve been awarded this distinction and our eighth Pulitzer: www.propublica.org/series/life-...

Factor V Leiden This JAMA Insights explores factor V Leiden, an inherited thrombophilia, and its association with venous and arterial thrombosis, how it affects pregnancy outcomes, and testing.

JAMA Insights: Testing for factor V Leiden in patients with venous thromboembolism should only be performed when the results may affect management decisions about anticoagulation.

#MedSky

In D.C., 285,000 residents rely on Medicaid, including 95,000 kids, 28,000 seniors, and 27,000 people with disabilities. The head of Children’s National says any cuts would be immediately felt on care, research, and jobs.