WHISTLER, BC, June 16, 2025 /CNW/ - 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.
SOURCE The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
Media Inquiries: Kelsey MacDonald, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, [email protected]
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