Bereavement care

In June 2023, we commenced a project to review and update the Maternity and Neonatal eHandbook guidelines, with a view to targeting completion in 2024. Please be aware that pending this review, some of the current guidelines may be out of date. In the meantime, we recommend that you also refer to more contemporaneous evidence.

Bereavement care resources

The Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) and the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (Stillbirth CRE) have published a Clinical practice guideline for care around stillbirth and neonatal death.

The Maternity eHandbook committee would like to acknowledge and recommend the guidance in this document which provides maternity services with a comprehensive guide for management of perinatal death, including:

Institutional perinatal mortality audit
Respectful and supportive perinatal bereavement care
Perinatal autopsy including placental assessment
Investigations for stillbirth
Investigation of neonatal deaths
Perinatal mortality classifications.

Read the Clinical practice guideline for care around stillbirth and neonatal death.

Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM)

All perinatal deaths, including stillbirths and neonatal deaths, need to be reported to CCOPMM for review.

Other helpful resources

Safer Care Victoria Neonatal eHandbook Clinical Practice Guidelines: Neonatal end of life care

The Victorian Perinatal Autopsy Service (VPAS) provides a co-ordinated state-wide service ensuring consistent standards of practice and expertise for the clinical investigation of perinatal deaths across Victoria. The information found through autopsy assists CCOPMM to provide expert advice on maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Red nose saves little lives (formerly SIDS & KIDS)
Telephone 1300 308 307
Email: support@rednose.com.au

Lifeline
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
www.beyondblue.org.au