"Calls for improvement in rural miscarriage care amid reports of fragmentation and dismissiveness"
14 Oct 2025
A new report from the early pregnancy loss support organisation Pink Elephants has revealed serious gaps in miscarriage care for people living in rural, regional, and remote Australia. The report, Not Just a Loss – early pregnancy loss in regional, rural and remote communities, calls for national reforms to address what it describes as “fragmented, dismissive” care.
The report presents sobering statistics: women in remote areas are 1.6 times more likely to experience perinatal death than women in major cities. Between 2013 and 2020, babies born to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers had a 1.7 times higher perinatal death rate than those born to non-Indigenous mothers.
It also found that 75% of women feel unsupported during miscarriage, 68% receive no support when told their pregnancy has ended, and there are no formal support pathways. The report notes that pregnancy loss often occurs without recognised rites or rituals, leaving women and families to navigate grief alone.
Pink Elephants has made five key recommendations:
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Improve data collection to understand the true scope of early pregnancy loss.
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Establish national care standards, including trauma-informed communication training for all healthcare professionals.
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Provide midwifery continuity of care.
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Ensure culturally safe care for all communities.
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Implement the Pink Elephants Care Standards.
GPs Overlooked in Report
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis, a GP and women’s health expert, criticised the report for overlooking general practice care. “Continuity of care is primarily provided in general practice. GPs offer pre-pregnancy counselling, antenatal care, and postnatal follow-up, particularly through shared care models,” she told newsGP. She said this long-term care is crucial, especially in rural areas where access to services is limited.
Data Gaps Highlighted
Pink Elephants emphasised that early pregnancy loss is often invisible in official data. While one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, some studies suggest it may be as high as 37%. A request to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to include pregnancy loss in the Census was rejected, leaving significant gaps in understanding the needs of vulnerable communities.
ABS stated that pregnancy loss was considered during Census planning, but alternative data sources partially meet the need. They also noted that adding new questions must be balanced against survey burden and data quality.
Dr Ka-Kiu Cheung, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests in Antenatal and Postnatal Care, said it is vital to hear from diverse community groups, including First Nations women and culturally diverse communities.
Looking Ahead
The Federal Government has funded an AIHW scoping review of sexual and reproductive health data, including pregnancy loss. Pink Elephants is actively involved in supporting this work, which the report says is a significant step toward better care and data collection.
Source: Pink Elephants Support Network, RACGP, newsGP
