FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For media interviews with Maria Brann, contact Diane Brown at 317-274-2195, 317-371-0437, or habrown@iu.edu .
INDIANAPOLIS — This year will mark the 14th observance of Oct. 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day in the United States.
As many as 1 in 4 pregnancies in the United States ends in miscarriage, according to the American Pregnancy Association. The precise cause of a miscarriage is often unknown, but virtually every one of us is likely to know someone who has lost a pregnancy. It is likely that either a friend, a family member or you — as have researchers Maria Brann, Ph.D., and Jennifer J. Bute, Ph.D. — have experienced this type of loss.
Brann and Bute, both associate professors at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, conducted comprehensive interviews with 20 couples who had recently experienced a miscarriage to explore in greater depth how they handle the difficulties they face when talking to friends and family about their loss.
Their findings:
- Although miscarriage is often framed as a women’s issue, both partners are deeply affected by the loss of a pregnancy.
- Couples sometimes had different preferences for how widely they wanted to share information about the miscarriage.
- All couples described difficult conversations in which people responded to their revelation of the miscarriage with awkward silences, insensitive responses, or even hurtful comments, making talking about the miscarriage feel risky for some couples.
Note to editors, reporters: Based on their research and communication expertise, Brann and Bute’s report offers practical recommendations for couples and their friends and family coping with the aftermath of miscarriage. Brann briefly discusses these in a short video.
For interviews with the researchers, contact Diane Brown, IU Communications specialist at 317-274-2195; 317-371-0437; or habrown@iupui.edu .