As Baby Loss Awareness Week shines a light on the heartbreak faced by many, Health NZ is taking a compassionate and hopeful step forward in transforming the support available for whānau who experience the loss of a baby. During this week of reflection and remembrance, we are proud to share the establishment of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to guide the development of a National Perinatal Bereavement Care Pathway. The pathway aims to improve the availability, quality and safety of health and bereavement services for pregnant people and whānau who experience loss.  

Each year, hundreds of whānau experience the loss of a baby or tamaiti, and thousands are affected by miscarriage.  These numbers reflect not just statistics but profound personal grief for thousands of whānau. Following the experience of loss, research indicates that bereaved whānau have an increased risk of poorer mental health outcomes, underscoring the critical need for comprehensive support. The vision of this new pathway is to ensure consistent, culturally responsive, and compassionate care for all bereaved whānau, so they feel supported in their time of greatest need. Importantly, the pathway will also consider access to maternal mental health services and support. 

Dr. Vicki Culling, Co-Chair of the Technical Advisory Group and a longstanding advocate for bereaved families, shares her heartfelt hopes for the pathway. “Every whānau that experiences loss deserves not only understanding and support, but care that respects their experience of loss, their individual grief and their culture.  This pathway seeks to improve the care and support available to whānau no matter where they are in Aotearoa”.  

Dr. Culling’s passion for supporting bereaved whānau has spanned over 20 years, and her personal commitment to this work has been central to many changes in how perinatal loss is approached in Aotearoa. She recognises the immeasurable grief that accompanies the loss of a baby but remains deeply hopeful about what this new pathway will mean for the future of bereavement support. 

“We are committed to building a pathway that is for by and with whānau” adds Dr. Kendall Stevenson, Co-Chair of the TAG. “We recognise the immense emotional toll that accompanies this journey, and our goal is to establish a pathway that brings compassion, understanding, and holistic care to whānau. We aim to create a system that provides culturally safe and individualised support, including the critical aspect of mental health. This is our commitment to honouring and supporting whānau”. 

Dr. Stevenson, a dedicated clinician and advocate, has worked closely with whānau who has faced loss, and her experience brings a profound understanding of how important it is to have mental health support during this time. Her vision for the pathway reflects not only professional expertise but deep empathy for the emotional and cultural needs of grieving whānau. 

The Technical Advisory Group, made up of a diverse group of clinicians, academics, and community leaders, will play a vital role in designing the National Perinatal Bereavement Care Pathway. The goal is to create a care pathway that ensures all bereaved whānau have access to equitable, high-quality, and culturally responsive support. The pathway is expected to be finalised by March 2025, its foundations will be built on the collective experiences and voices of whānau across Aotearoa. 

As we pause to reflect during Baby Loss Awareness Week, this initiative offers a vision of hope—a future where every whānau, no matter where they are, can feel supported through their grief with aroha and care that honours their loss. This pathway is a testament to our shared commitment to ensuring that no family walks this journey alone. 

E kore nei e warewaretia me he whetu i te rangi.
They will not be forgotten, like a star in the sky.