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October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a time to honor the children who were gone too soon. Throughout the month, bereaved parents, families, and friends come together to remember and celebrate the lives of their little loved ones in meaningful ways.
This observance also serves as a vital reminder of the ongoing need to support families who have experienced such heartbreaking loss. Raising awareness also helps break the silence around pregnancy and infant loss and provides comfort to those navigating grief.
In addition, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month educates the public about safe pregnancy practices and prevention, with the hope of sparing other families from experiencing the same devastating loss.
What Is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month?
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is observed every October to honor the lives of babies lost during pregnancy or infancy. The month shines a light on the heartbreaking reality that too many parents face while also offering support, remembrance, and community to families navigating this pain.
While Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is about remembrance and support, it also highlights how common these tragedies truly are.
The numbers show just how many families are affected each year:
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 5.6 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.
- The CDC also reports intrauterine fetal demise (stillbirth) affects 1 in 160 births.
- Studies have reported that 1 out of 4 pregnancies result in a miscarriage.
No parent should ever have to feel the heartbreak and devastation of losing their child. Parents may feel isolated and alone. They may also struggle to find support in the wake of their baby’s death.
Unfortunately, medical errors during delivery can cause birth injuries that may become fatal in some cases. Recently, an Illinois family was awarded $17 million after their baby suffered catastrophic injuries during delivery and died just 9 months later.
The family filed a birth injury lawsuit to hold the obstetrician and the women’s health clinic where he practiced accountable for this unimaginable loss.
Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month History
October 2025 marks the 37th annual Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a time dedicated to honoring the lives of babies gone too soon and supporting grieving families.
The observance began in 1988, when President Ronald Reagan declared October a month of remembrance. In his proclamation, he emphasized the importance of acknowledging this unique grief.
“When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them.”
— President Ronald Reagan
In addition to the month-long awareness campaign, October 15 is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. This day was formally established in 2002 thanks to the efforts of bereaved mothers Robyn Bear, Lisa Brown, and Tammy Novak, who petitioned for a national day of remembrance after losing their own babies to miscarriage.
Today, all 50 states acknowledge Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, with families and communities nationwide joining together through candlelight vigils, awareness walks, and online tributes to support grieving parents and raise awareness.
Resources for Bereaved Parents
Pregnancy is supposed to be a happy and exciting time for parents. No one ever goes into pregnancy expecting to lose their baby. This can make it incredibly difficult for parents to cope with child loss.
To help these families, Pregnancy Loss and Infant Loss Awareness Month has brought attention to the needs of grieving parents and resources for support.
Resources for grieving parents include:
- Bereaved Parents of the USA
- Grieving.com
- MISS Foundation
- Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death
- Star Legacy Foundation
- The Compassionate Friends
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is an organization that gifts bereaved parents with remembrance portraits of their children. This organization created a calendar called “31 Ways to Honor Your Baby” with ways that parents can remember their child for every day of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
How to Show Your Support During National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is a time for the community to remember the children lost far too soon. Many individuals and organizations are coming together to honor the young children who have passed.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month Activities include:
- Donating to charities that support bereaved parents such as March of Dimes, International Stillbirth Alliance, and more
- Lobbying government officials to advocate for pregnancy education and infant loss support
- Obtaining a local proclamation for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
- Sharing information about child loss on social media
- Supporting parents who have lost children
- Wearing Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month ribbons, which are pink and blue
There are no words to capture the heartbreak of losing a baby. While Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is observed each October, we must honor the little ones gone too soon and support their grieving families year-round.
If you have experienced such a loss, know that you are not alone. Many resources exist to help families heal and honor their children’s memory. The Birth Injury Justice Center extends our deepest condolences to every family facing this unimaginable pain.
Whether your child was lost due to medical malpractice or natural causes, support is available to help you grieve and find healthy ways to process such a staggering loss. If you or a loved one needs emotional support resources, contact us at (800) 914-1562.
