A post-mortem examination may be helpful if you have had to end a pregnancy for medical reasons, even if there were detailed scans and tests done during pregnancy. Whether or not a post-mortem is possible will depend on the stage of pregnancy and the method used to end the pregnancy. It is best to discuss this with the hospital staff as they can advise you on your options.
5. What might a post-mortem examination tell you?
A post-mortem examination of your baby and of the placenta may help to find out why your baby has died. Although it does not always find a definite cause of death, it may still answer some question. Here are a few examples of why a post-mortem might be useful:
- It can confirm or change a diagnosis.
- It may find conditions that have not been diagnosed before.
- It can exclude some common causes of death, such as medical
- problems with your baby, infections or growth restrictions.
- It can help assess the chances of problems happening again in a
- future pregnancy.
- It can help provide information about a genetic condition.
- It may tell you the gender of your baby.
Even if your medical team already suspect the cause of your baby’s death, a post-mortem might confirm this.
The post-mortem showed that there was something wrong with my placenta and it had stopped working. This means the amniotic fluid wasn’t being produced and the baby wasn’t gaining weight. – Sophie
4. When should a post-mortem take place?
A post-mortem will usually provide the most information if it is carried out within a few days of a baby’s death. If you need to hold the funeral within 24 or 48 hours, tell the staff at the hospital as they may be able to arrange a post-mortem within this time. Sometimes, babies need to be transported to specialist centres in other hospitals where post-mortems can take place.
Once you have consented to have a post-mortem examination, you can change your mind and withdraw consent. It is best to ask the hospital how much time you have to do this.
3. What is a post-mortem?
A post-mortem is a medical examination of your baby’s body. The examination is carried out a specialist doctor called a perinatal pathologist who will try to find out the reason for your baby’s death.
Usually, a senior health professional will talk with you about having a post-mortem examination. A post-mortem examination cannot be done without your consent 1. You can choose to have a full or a limited post-mortem (see below). An examination of your placenta (the part of a woman’s womb that nurtures the baby during pregnancy) can also provide important information about the cause of death.
The choice about having a post-mortem is very personal. Only you can decide what to do.
In some limited circumstances, a post-mortem can be ordered without parental consent, by a coroner (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or procurator fiscal (Scotland).
If you consent to a post-mortem, you will still be able to see your baby in hospital until the time of the post-mortem. You will sometimes be able to take your baby home following the birth before the post mortem, but it is important to check if this is possible with the team looking after you.
When the time comes for the post-mortem examination, hospital staff will take your baby to a mortuary. Keepsakes such as soft toys and blankets can stay with your baby, and your baby will be well looked after and treated with respect. You will be able to see your baby again, if you wish, after the examination has been completed. Some parents choose to say goodbye to their baby before the post mortem. Ask staff any questions you have and they will be able to help.
It was upsetting to think someone we didn’t know would operate on our baby, but it felt like we owed it to him to understand what had happened. – Bereaved mother
2. Post-mortem examinations
It can be very hard to think about a post-mortem examination for your baby. Staff at the hospital will talk with you about what is involved and try to answer any questions you have. If you are unsure what to do, you can discuss how you feel with them. You might also like to discuss this with your family and friends, your doctor, or a midwife or nurse. The staff on the Sands Helpline (0808 164 3332, helpline@sands.org.uk) are also available to provide you with support.
1. Finding out why a baby died
When your baby dies, it can feel very important to understand why. Sometimes the cause of death is clearly related to a medical condition in the mother or baby. For many babies the cause is not clear straight away and investigations can help to understand what happened. Sadly, in many cases, even after full investigations the cause of death may remain unclear. This is because there is still a lot that we don’t understand about why many babies die.
Parents of babies who have died may not have answers from medical staff before or immediately after their baby is born. This is because most baby deaths are unexpected and there needs to be an investigation into what was happening in the baby or the mother’s body that caused the baby to die.
Some parents are keen to know why their baby has died. Others may feel unsure or worried about this in case it exposes medical problems that could affect other pregnancies. Not all baby deaths are understood and more research is needed to understand why babies die. There are, however, two possible investigations that might provide some answers. The first is a post-mortem; the second is a review of care.
It can sometimes be clear that a baby died because of direct harm to the baby or its mother, or because of something that happened during pregnancy. Women who are victims of abuse and have become pregnant in this context are more likely to experience injuries that can cause a baby to die. If you are a victim of abuse and need support, please contact www.womensaid.org.uk.
While doctors may not find all the answers about why your baby died, you should be able to discuss what happened and ask any questions you may have once the results of any investigations are shared with you.