We are so sorry that your baby has died.
This guide has been developed to support parents at a time that may feel overwhelming. It brings together evidence-based information that may help you understand your options, make decisions that feel right for you and your baby, and find support in the days and weeks ahead.
Every family’s experience and needs are different, so you can use the parts that are most relevant to you.
We hope that you find information, guidance, and support here that is helpful to you at this time.
This guide reflects the 2024 Care Around Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Clinical Practice Guideline, developed by the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (Stillbirth CRE) and the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ). The clinical guideline sets out best-practice care to help healthcare professionals support parents when a baby dies or is expected to die.
This parent version shares the same information adapted for families. It reflects the experiences of parents and healthcare professionals, along with latest research. It has been designed to be sensitive to parents and families at a time of loss. While the focus is on stillbirth and newborn death, some information may also be helpful for parents who have had other types of pregnancy loss.
Earlier versions of this guide were funded by Stillbirth Foundation Australia, in partnership with the Stillbirth CRE.
Design and distribution funded by the Sydney 2 CAMberra Charity Ride, which was created after a young Sydney couple lost their son Cameron through stillbirth. The tragic event heavily impacted their life and touched many of their family members and friends. In recognition of Cameron, the Ride raises significant funds, awareness and support of families affected by stillbirth and SIDS.
To view our other resources for care around pregnancy and baby loss, please visit: carearoundloss.stillbirthcre.org.au
To contact the team, please email: stillbirthcre@mater.uq.edu.au
Publication date: July 2026
Online version: 1.0
© 2026 NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (Stillbirth CRE), Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and their ongoing custodianship. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country.
We acknowledge the diversity across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, language and practices and that it is vital that all health care services respectfully manage protocol and provide a culturally positive health care experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when going through sorry business.
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The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine
