Understanding practices around miscarriage
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Remains and Residues: Understanding practices around miscarriage
IRAS ID
261330
Contact name
Suise Kilshaw
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
By exploring the practices around miscarriage and their remains we ask what do these reveal about the status of babies, foetuses, women and mothers in contemporary England? Are the policies and procedures around remains disposal meeting women’s needs?
Miscarriage is a common women’s health experience. Miscarriage care has changed over the past 15 years, with social and medical understanding increasingly seeing miscarriage as a significant loss requiring sensitive disposal and memorialisation. However, we do not have detailed data about the practices around miscarriage, the disposal of remains and women’s experiences. In particular, we do not know if medical practice best suits women’s requirements. The research explores the values afforded to the remains in different contexts (clinic, home, burial site, crematorium, grave site) and by different stakeholders, but also looks broadly to include other materials of miscarriage (i.e baby clothes, memories, burial site etc) that women may prioritise. It will include a diversity of women and experiences and include women who are not typically included in such research. It is positioned to inform future practice and protocols locally and nationally to ensure that procedure best meets miscarrying women’s needs.
By conducting analytic ethnography (observation, participant observation, interviews) at the Rose Hill Clinic, Oxford, whilst including local sites: Rose Hill community centre, John Radcliffe hospital, crematoria, burial sites etc. Participants will be interviewed twice over the course of 12 months. For those who are willing there will be a second level of involvement, which will include informal interactions with the researcher spending time with them whilst they undertake activities related to the loss. Eligible participants will be women (age 18-50) who have recently miscarried (in the past months prior to 24 weeks gestation) and those involved in their care or policy. The fieldwork will be over 18 months and is funded by Wellcome Trust.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0428
Date of REC Opinion
4 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion