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The Context and Long-term Impacts of Multiple Birth Loss: A Peer Support Network Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Jean Kollantai*
Affiliation:
Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB), Inc. climb@pobox.alaska.net
*
*Address for correspondence: Jean Kollantai, Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB), Inc. P.O. Box 91377 Anchorage AK 99509, USA.

Abstract

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Following my own experience with the death of a twin baby, I founded the Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB) Inc. During the last 13 years I have worked with nearly 7000 bereaved parents of twins, triplets or other high multiples throughout the US and worldwide. The role of a peer support organisation and the range of families with multiples who have contacted it is described. They come from diverse backgrounds with many forms of bereavement: death during pregnancy, at birth or after of both or all babies, of one twin, of one or more higher order multiples; multifetal pregnancy reduction or selective fetocide; the death of one or more multiples in childhood. Some have had more than one multiple pregnancy and loss. Many are concerned for the surviving children. A peer support organisation has an important role to play in increasing public awareness of the needs of these families as well as influencing policy on infertility treatments that carry a high risk of producing multiple pregnancies with the associated risk of death and disability for one or more of the babies.

Type
Pre Congress Symposium
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002