The Neonatal Butterfly Project, led by Professor Nicholas Embleton and Professor Judith Rankin, focuses on health professional education around bereavement from a multiple pregnancy. They are carrying out research into the experiences of families who have had a multiple pregnancy where at least one of their babies has died, and at least one has survived. The aim of this research is to better understand what life is like for these families after the experience of a loss from a multiple pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death. 

A survey was launched in 2024 to capture the experiences of these families, and the response rate was high with over 200 families taking part. The responses included information about the family make-up, the ages of children, and how long ago the baby had died. Researchers asked questions about the different ways in which families make memories, how they talk about their babies, and what they do on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. They also asked about the challenges parents, lone twins and other siblings face in school or other environments, for example how they respond to questions such as “how many children do you have?”.  

More information about the findings of this study will be available in due course. You can read more about the project and their research on the Neonatal Butterfly Project website.