Hong Kong lacks public understanding and support for couples who suffer a miscarriage, with more than 90 per cent of people in a survey mistakenly believing a loss in pregnancy was the result of long-term stress, researchers have found.

An online survey by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) found that myths related to miscarriages persisted, which led to “counterproductive” condolences to couples who had experienced them.

Celia Chan Hoi-yan, the deputy head of the department of social work and social administration at HKU who led the study, said misunderstandings and taboos around pregnancy and miscarriage resulted in a lack of support for those who had suffered loss in pregnancy.

“Hong Kong is still a very traditional Chinese community. Although we are seen as metropolitan, people are very traditional and they still have a lot of misconceptions about miscarriage,” Chan said.

“Most of the pregnancy losses are actually related to physiological causes. For example, chromosomal abnormalities or some cervical issues. So there are huge misconceptions about the causes of miscarriage.”

The survey, funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, analysed information from 913 respondents drawn from community network and social media platforms in May, including 168 who had experienced miscarriage.

The results were released as HKU prepared to launch a campaign to educate people about miscarriages and their effect on people who experienced them.

The researchers asked the group for their definitions and the causes of pregnancy loss most commonly held by the public.

The findings suggested that 92.5 per cent of the participants wrongly believed that long-term stress was a cause of pregnancy loss.

More than half of the respondents held misconceptions that lifestyle choices, such as strenuous exercise or lifting heavy weights, had an influence on miscarriages.

Around 28.4 per cent of those surveyed incorrectly identified sex during pregnancy as a cause.

Official figures suggest that one in five Hong Kong pregnancies, 20 per cent, may end in miscarriage, with an average in recent times of 8,000 a year.

More than 60 per cent of the respondents correctly identified the prevalence of the pregnancy loss as between 10 and 20 per cent, but 62.3 per cent were unaware that miscarriage was defined as a loss up to the 24th week mark of pregnancy.

The study found that some bereaved parents, because of a lack of public understanding, were blamed for the loss, which the team said reflected a need to improve public knowledge of reproductive health.

Celia Chan, the deputy head of the department of social work and social administration at HKU, led an online survey that found that myths around miscarriages persisted, which led to “counterproductive” condolences to couples who had experienced them.

Chan said some advice to parents who had suffered a miscarriage involved insensitive and judgmental condolences, which only worsened the trauma of those who were dealing with a miscarriage.

“For example, ‘at least you still have other loved ones,’ ‘time will heal you,’ ‘you are still young and have a chance to get pregnant,’ and ‘this is God’s plan.’ We consider these as less facilitative, interpretative and unsolicited advice,” Chan said.

“Most of the young couples will say that this is their first life and death experience … if they do not get a very supportive response, they say this is another kind of trauma.”

The researchers highlighted that insufficient support from other people could lead to couples who had experienced a miscarriage being isolated from the rest of society and that more empathetic responses tailored to individual circumstances were needed.

“What they can do is to contact them and offer support actively instead of being passive, listening to their story, or promote some tangible support, because they are recovering … You can even be a silent companion because some couples find that it’s more than enough if they are just being accompanied silently,” Chan explained.

Babie Li Yin-yee, a 39-year-old PR director who had a miscarriage in 2017, said the mental stress was the toughest part of pregnancy loss, with she and her husband left to support each other.

“When I saw a baby on the street, I would automatically cry for no reason, and the uncertainty of not knowing why the miscarriage had happened or if it would happen again was the most stressful part,” she said.

Li backed the survey’s finding that there was too little support for couples who had suffered a loss in pregnancy and agreed more education and better policies were needed.

She suggested the government could introduce a leave of absence similar to compassionate leave for women who experienced miscarriages, and backed specialist groups that offered help to affected couples.

“Supporting helping groups run by someone who has miscarriage experience is the best as they know how it feels like,” Li said.

The university will run “Break the Silence – Pregnancy Loss Week” this month to promote better public understanding and support for people who have suffered miscarriages.

The campaign was designed to alert the public to the needs and concerns of individuals or couples and to help create a more supportive environment.

The research team added that an effort by members of the public to debunk miscarriage myths, make others aware of the stories of bereaved parents, and create a stronger support structure for them were also essential.