The context and long-term impacts of multiple birth loss: a peer support network perspective.
Following my own experience with the death of a twin baby, I founded the Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB) Inc. During the last 13 years I have worked with nearly 7000 bereaved parents of twins, triplets or other high multiples throughout the US and worldwide. The role of a peer support organisation and the range of families with multiples who have contacted it is described. They come from diverse backgrounds with many forms of bereavement: death during pregnancy, at birth or after of both or all babies, of one twin, of one or more higher order multiples; multifetal pregnancy reduction or selective fetocide; the death of one or more multiples in childhood. Some have had more than one multiple pregnancy and loss. Many are concerned for the surviving children. A peer support organisation has an important role to play in increasing public awareness of the needs of these families as well as influencing policy on infertility treatments that carry a high risk of producing multiple pregnancies with the associated risk of death and disability for one or more of the babies.
Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB), Inc., Anchorage, AK 99509, USA. climb@pobox.olaska.net
Jean
J
Kollantai
D000413:Alaska; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001601:Bereavement; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012944:Social Support