The parliamentary secretariat miscarriage leave public consultation - keynote speech

Abstract

Dr Lisa Maria Sammut, a researcher and health professional presents scientific evidence from her doctoral research on threatened miscarriage together with the lived emotional reality of pregnancy loss. She reports that approximately 23 % of women in Malta who experience threatened miscarriage in the first trimester ultimately miscarry, and that women with this complication are at higher risk of preterm birth and smaller babies. The presentation describes the three-phase study that led to a predictive model (93 % accuracy) for pregnancy outcome after threatened miscarriage and calls for the immediate establishment of an Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit at Mater Dei Hospital to provide specialised, dignified care. It also strongly advocates for the introduction of dedicated “miscarriage leave” as formal recognition of the physical, psychological, and emotional recovery needs of women and their partners, arguing that early-pregnancy loss must be acknowledged socially and legally rather than treated as a private matter to be endured in silence.