Playtimes HK Magazine Winter Issue 2018/2019 | Page 42

maternity
In addition to forming the support
groups, the two began lobbying
the government and making press
statements with the hope of improving
the way mothers who experience the
loss of their babies are treated in Hong
Kong. “A baby born in silence is also a
human, my baby deserves the right to be
respected by others,” shares Sharon.
The thought of a miscarriage or a
stillborn child is enough to bring any of
us to tears. Those who have not been
through either experience can only
imagine how shattering it is to have
elation about your growing baby turn
to grief.
Now imagine going through a
stillbirth with a complete lack of
information about the process, or
the options available to you; your
husband not being with you while you
go through the delivery; the nurses
and medical staff not being trained
to handle the physical and emotional
needs of stillbirth parents and there
being no guidelines for the medical
staff about the subject.
Sharon and Teresa explain how in
Hong Kong there are no cuddle cots
available (this applies to both public
and private hospitals). There are no
special fridges for stillborn babies;
they are put inside the same fridge as
a deceased adult - using the same
temperature, but due to the tiny size of
stillborn babies, this results in the baby
shrinking and freezing.
There is no memorial box,
no footprint, no picture, no size
measurements are given to stillbirth
parents and the baby has no proper
clothing at all.
Stillbirth parents cannot get a birth
certificate for their baby.
An incinerator for a baby is not
available.
The hospital allows no time for
parents to grieve or create special
memories of their lost baby. In fact,
parents are most often rushed into
making decisions.
Mothers cannot take maternity leave
if they lose their babies before the 28th
week of their pregnancy and no leave
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is granted in Hong Kong for grieving.
For parents who lose their baby
before week 24 the situation is even
worse. No-midwife or doctor is
provided to assist with the delivery
process. The mother is not eligible
to go to the delivery suite to deliver
her baby, instead she is put into a
gynaecological ward without a trained
midwife and the parents receive no
briefing on the induced labour process.
Shockingly, a baby under the 24th
week of pregnancy is considered
“clinical waste”. Parents of a baby that
dies during the 24th week of pregnancy
cannot legally take the remains out of
the hospital for cremation or burial.
To put this into perspective, in the UK
the cornerstone of bereavement care
lies in the understanding that the care
given around the time of a miscarriage
or stillbirth can set the stage for the
family's entire grieving process.
Women are able to have a partner,
relative or friend with them at all times.
Many units have double bereavement
rooms or, at the very least, a single
room with a comfortable chair and
nearby facilities for men's use.
Parents have the opportunity to
create memories of their baby, take
photos, wash and dress the baby,
take hand and foot prints, and spend
time with the baby, even taking him
or her home should they wish without
worrying about the baby deteriorating
in condition due to the availability
of cooling "cuddle cots". There is a
dedicated mortuary fridge near the
ward, meaning parents never have to
go to the mortuary to see their baby,
and the baby remains close should
parents want more time with the baby.
And in the UK, if the baby is over
24 weeks gestation it is classed as a
stillbirth, given a medical certificate
so that it is registered as such and
the parents are given the choice to
make their own funeral arrangements,
or to let the hospital arrange either a
burial or cremation as required by law.
Although the pregnancy will not be
considered technically a stillbirth, nor
is there a legal requirement for burial
or cremation, the ethos is no different
when under 24 weeks.
In April of this year the Hon
Jeremy Tam questioned the Food and
Environmental Hygiene Department,
who oversee cremation and burials,
about the matter. His questions and
the responses from the secretary of
the FEHD can be found on: www.
info.gov.hk/gia/general/201804/11/
P2018041100538.htm
In Carrie Lam’s 2018 Policy Address
she also addressed the matter.
“We fully understand the worries
and anxieties of parents who may
encounter difficulties in arranging
proper burial or cremation of their
(baby's body). In this connection, the
Food and Environmental Hygiene
Department and the HA have already
implemented various administrative
measures to facilitate the handling
of (a baby's body). The Government
is examining proposals to further
improve such arrangements in a
holistic manner, including provision
of facilities.” www.policyaddress.gov.
hk/2018/eng/policy_ch06.html
Teresa and Sharon recently met with
the government and found the meeting
to be positive. A solution has been
proposed that changes the description
“medical waste” to something more
dignified and research has begun
on importing baby cremators from
overseas. Other suggestions have
been put forward, but Teresa feels that
there is still a lack of understanding
regarding front-line medical staff and
their handling of the matter.
Since meeting Sharon and Tracey,
Lucy has committed herself and her
staff to helping them improve the way
the public hospitals treat mothers, and
to help provide parents with literature
and information.
Lucy recently set up a mental health
charity, Mind HK and has offered this as
a platform to support the cause, with
the charity agreeing to host a perinatal
psychiatry section on their website.
Lucy has also managed to secure
support from the Royal College of
Gynaecologists in the UK (RCOG), the