June 16, 2025| Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
WHISTLER, B.C.: Too many women in Canada are left to suffer in silence
after early pregnancy loss, facing not only profound grief but also
inadequate health care that lacks the compassionate support they
urgently need.
The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada (JOGC) has released
a
new Clinical Practice Guideline on early pregnancy loss (EPL)
that includes several new recommendations aimed at improving care for
women in Canada. Unlike previous guidelines, which have focused on
clinical advice to health practitioners, this one also calls for broader
health system reforms, with recommendations to increase resources and
take specific, concrete actions to make care for women who lose a
pregnancy more responsive, compassionate and patient-centered.
Early pregnancy loss is common, occurring in about 15 per cent of
pregnancies, and it can lead to significant psychological distress,
including post-traumatic stress disorder. Adverse mental health outcomes
are common among women who lose a pregnancy, present in up to 30 per
cent of patients. That’s why the Society of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) is now advising that women who
experience a pregnancy loss should be screened for depression and
offered treatment or referral to a mental health care provider, if
needed. Patients should also be advised and reassured by their providers
that most early pregnancy loss is not preventable or treatable. Feelings
of guilt or self-blame can be common, and clinicians should approach
these losses with compassion. In addition, the guideline notes that
language is important in EPL care and urges providers to steer away from
using negative terminology to describe a pregnancy loss.
To provide more specialized, comprehensive and compassionate EPL care,
the SOGC’s guideline also calls for more Early Pregnancy Assessment
Clinics (EPACs) to be established across Canada. First introduced in the
United Kingdom, EPACs have been
found
to improve quality of care, reduce wait times and cut costs. They also
serve as an alternative to emergency departments for women experiencing
symptoms of pregnancy loss.
In addition, the SOGC’s new EPL Guideline is calling for mifepristone
and misoprostol to be made available free for all patients who choose
medical management of their pregnancy loss, to avoid the need for an
unnecessary surgical procedure.
The SOGC’s EPL Clinical Practice Guideline will be launched at the
SOGC’s
Annual Clinical and Scientific Conference
, taking place June 17–20, 2025, in Whistler, B.C.
This year’s conference
program
also includes a number of timely and relevant presentations, including:
an overview of the current state of abortion care in the United States
by Dr. Stella Dantas; a session on inequities in compensation and
surgical wait times in women’s health in Canada by Dr. Nicholas Leyland;
and a panel discussion featuring representatives from some of the SOGC’s
international sister organizations on the top three challenges facing
women’s health, which will include Dr. Frank Louwen, president-elect of
FIGO, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
“Every woman who experiences early pregnancy loss should receive the
best medical care possible, including compassionate support and the
resources needed to help them heal. This guideline is a call to action
to make that a standard across Canada, and to ensure that women’s voices
and experiences are heard and reflected in the care they receive. It is
also a call for health systems to invest in structures and services like
Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinics that provide compassionate and timely
care for women.” – Dr. Lynn Murphy-Kaulbeck, President, Society of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
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Media Inquiries:
Kelsey MacDonald
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
[email protected]