Rainbow offers support

20 Dec 2019 03:10
Published by: Kian French

A NEW service has launched at Stepping Hill Hospital to provide extra support for mums and dads-to-be who have previously experienced stillbirth, late miscarriage or early neonatal death in a previous pregnancy.

The Rainbow Clinic is part of a national project to help support parents who have previously suffered this trauma, providing individualised care and additional scans to identify potential complications in the new term of labour. 

Figures show11 babies die before or shortly after birth each day in the UK, and 70 per cent of these families will go on to have another pregnancy within a year. The new pregnancies are themselves more likely to end in stillbirth than with other parents, which makes extra scans very important.

As well as specialist scans and diagnosis, the team will provide additional psychological care and support to a family who have already experienced loss, talking them through their worries and fears, and helping to them to cope with the anxieties which can accompany their new pregnancy.

Dr Lucy Tomlinson, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the new Rainbow Clinic, said: “We’re looking forward to supporting and guiding our mums and dads-to-be along the journeys of their pregnancies and prepare for the arrival of their rainbow babies.”

Amanda Risino, deputy chief executive/managing director at Health Innovation Manchester, said: “The Rainbow Clinic is a fantastic example of our ability to take a concept that has been developed through research and translate it into practice to directly benefit Greater Manchester citizens. 

“It is great to see Stockport come onboard and we are now working with the remaining maternity units across the city region to support full adoption and spread, ensuring that all families who need it can access this enhanced level of care.”

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