• By Debbie Mason
• Posted Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Upcoming Infant Bereavement Conference

What do you say to a family whose infant has died? The loss of an infant, no matter when during or after the pregnancy, is a traumatic event in a family’s life. No one expects an infant to die. The reality is that Forsyth County has the highest infant death rate among the five most populous counties in North Carolina.

On Thursday, February 19, 2009, the Forsyth County Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition and Department of Public Health will partner with community organizations to host a grief conference, Hope for the Future: Building Community Support for Families Who Have Lost an Infant. The event takes place at United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 450 Metropolitan Drive, in Winston-Salem from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

The conference builds grief counseling skills for clergy, nurses, social workers, counselors, health educators, funeral directors, and other professionals working with families experiencing the loss of an infant during pregnancy or first year of life. Speakers include Sarah Verbeist, UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health; Robert Dillard, MD, Medical Director of Forsyth Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Tracey Holyfield and Parent Panel of Heartstrings Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support; and Keynote address by Darryl Owens, Women’s Services Chaplain from UNC Hospital. Local agencies will exhibit information about community programs and services.

The conference will close with the DVD showing of Footprints of Hope: A Mother’s Story. This educational DVD highlights local efforts to prevent repeat premature births using the 17P medical protocol for pregnant women. Three NC mothers share their personal stories about using 17P to carry their pregnancies to term.

The registration fee of $40.00 ($50.00 after February 5th) includes a light breakfast and lunch. Continuing education credits include 4.0 contact hours from Northwest AHEC, 0.4 CEU’s from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 4.0 Contact Hours Continuing Chaplaincy Education Credits (CCE) and 4 CHES credits for Health Educators. Register and pay online at www.northwestahec.org.

For further information or to receive a registration form, please contact the Infant Mortality Reduction Coalition at 336-703-3260.

Conference Registration Form - English
Conference Registration Form - Spanish