One in four pregnancies end in a loss.
Proclaimed in 1988 by President Ronald Regan, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is a time set aside to remember and honor those gone far too soon.
While grief and recovery are deeply personal, sometimes it’s good to know that you and your family are not alone in your journey. No matter when a loss occurs: early pregnancy, stillbirth, or during infancy—these are deeply felt experiences that deserve support. Families can experience postpartum mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health issues that should be addressed.
If you have experienced a loss during pregnancy or infancy, contact the Healthy Start Program at 941-861-2905 for support and help accessing local resources.
This is also a time to consider how we as individuals and communities, can meet the needs of the bereaved and work to prevent causes of loss.
Sarasota County is one of the 12 counties in Florida that have a Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Project. The FIMR Project’s focus is to reduce fetal and infant death in Sarasota County. It has two parts, each with different but important functions. The Case Review Team (CRT), made up of local professionals, reviews fetal and infant deaths in our county to determine risk factors or system gaps that could have contributed to the loss. The Community Action and Education Group (CAEG) is made up of local advocates and organizations that want to make changes in the community. They take the information and recommendations provided by the Case Review Team and identify priorities and actions steps.
Efforts in the last year have spearheaded a forum to address racial issues to educate professionals, education materials to increase awareness of important pregnancy concerns, and expanding services to help women get healthy before their next pregnancy. The Community Action and Education Group is open to anyone in the community willing to contribute.
For more information or to join contact Jamee Thumm, Educational Services Manager, Jamee.thumm@healthystartsarasota.org or 941-373-7070 ext. 307.