Aout WiSSP

Catherine A Reiser, M.S.

WiSSP is pleased to announce that we have received funding from the Perinatal Foundation so that we can produce a series of educational videotapes concerning stillbirth. This new series of videotapes will be short, circumscribed subjects presented in a natural sequence which, we think, will be particularly appropriate for inservice education. We will target these videotapes to nursing personnel, general practitioners, obstetricians and others who constitute the 'front line' of care for families experiencing stillbirth.

We anticipate producing a series of five videotapes, each about 20 minutes in length:

I. Parental Needs Following Intrauterine Death

II. Etiologic assessment of the Stillborn—Introduction, Justification and Overview

III. Etiologic Assessment of the Stillborn—Practical Guide to Fetal Evaluation

IV. Results and Outcomes of Etiologic Assessment of Stillborn Infants

V. Case Studies of Fetal Causes of Intrauterine Death

We hope that these will become available to all WiSSP collaborators by early 1995.

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As was discussed in the Fall, 1993 issue of WiSSPers, analysis of the available literature supports recommending of assessment for fetal-maternal hemorrhage in all instances of stillbirth. Protocols will reflect that additional recommendation beginning with those distributed after June 1, 1994. We hope that the results of the Kleihauer-Betke testing will be forwarded to us along with all the other relevant materials.

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Multiple pregnancy and its increased risk of intrauterine death presents a special challenge to care providers. Often we need to support parents who are simultaneously celebrating a life —a sometimes medically fragile life—and mourning a death.

This issue of WiSSPers is devoted to various aspects of multiple births and stillbirth.