Terminology for early pregnancy loss must be changed

Editorial p 1028 EDITOR —Miscarriage is distressing, giving rise to a range of emotional experiences for both the woman and her partner. The aim of medical and nursing staff must be to reduce distress, but the distress may be increased by staff taking the wrong approach or using inappropriate terminology. The lay public tend to interpret an “abortion” as a termination of pregnancy.1 We advise that when women are counselled about miscarriage the word abortion should be avoided. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has …