National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day 2023: Date, History, Facts

The bereavement of an infant is irreparable. On National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, the lives lost due to conditions such as stillbirth, infant mortality, miscarriage, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome are commemorated. National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is an occasion to combat the infant and pregnancy loss-related culture of silence. Individuals challenge societal and cultural prohibitions on discussing the bereavement of their children by recounting personal anecdotes and conveying their grief. Particular attention is paid to the United States, Canada, and Australia on this international day. Join us on October 15 for a moment of reflection, remembrance, and unity concerning pregnancy and infant loss. Provide the necessary support and affection to a loved one who has undergone this type of bereavement so that they may require time to reflect and recuperate.

The background of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

The observance and commemoration of miscarriage and premature birth originated in the United States. The U.S. Congress designated October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in 1988 and submitted a petition to then-president Ronald Reagan requesting an official proclamation regarding the month’s observance. After a span of thirteen years, a petition campaign was initiated by three miscarriage awareness activists, namely Tammy Novak, Lisa Bear, and Robyn Bear, with the objective of convincing the U.S. government to designate October 15 as an official holiday honoring pregnancy loss and infant mortality. Concurrent Resolution 222, which was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 28, 2006, granted its support to the principles that underpin National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

The inaugural Baby Loss Awareness Day was observed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2002, drawing inspiration from the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day observed in the United States. Additionally, the United Kingdom has observed Baby Loss Awareness Week since 2003, from October 9 to October 15.

Province by province, the observance of the day developed in Canada. Initially, in 2005, the New Brunswick Department of Health and Wellness advocated for the establishment of this day and urged provincial residents to support and bring attention to parents who were experiencing silent mourning as a result of miscarriages or infant mortality. After three years, the holiday was subsequently observed in Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day became an official national holiday in Australia on February 17, 2021, when the Australian Parliament passed a motion in its favor. This can be primarily attributed to the endeavors of Nicole Ballinger, who collaborated with Shelley Hancock and Joanna Gash, both Members of Parliament, in May 2008 to establish an official day of observance for pregnancy and infant loss, and John and Kate De’Laney, who advocated for the day’s official recognition in Western Australia between 2014 and 2021.
17–22% of pregnancies are terminated due to miscarriage. Many prominent individuals, including Whitney Houston, Mark Zuckerberg, and Michelle Obama, have discussed their personal struggles with miscarriage and neonatal mortality.

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The HBO special “Life Is But A Dream” by Beyonce pays homage to the unborn child that perished in her miscarriage while also addressing the challenges associated with the bereavement process and the process of recovering.

Gabrielle Union disclosed that she has experienced eight or nine miscarriages in an attempt to conceive and that she was in an almost constant cycle of in vitro fertilization for years.

Lily Allen, a well-known singer, revealed in 2010 that she had a stillbirth in the sixth month of her pregnancy; when asked if she believed she had recovered from the devastating loss, she replied that she did not believe it was possible.

The Duchess of Sussex disclosed in November 2020 that she had experienced a miscarriage in July of the same year. In an opinion piece for “The New York Times,” she stated that the incident inspired her to urge others to check in on their loved ones, particularly during a time when so many individuals had been struggling.

Michelle Obama, the former first lady of the United States, disclosed in her autobiography “Becoming” that she experienced a miscarriage prior to becoming pregnant with her two daughters. During an interview with “Good Morning America,” she lamented the social stigma associated with infant loss, stating, “I felt lost and alone…Because I was unaware of the prevalence of miscarriages. Because we refrain from discussing it. We languish in our own suffering, convinced that we are broken in some way.”

NATIONAL PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS REMEMBRANCE DAY DATES