Tomorrow, October 15th, the Arriaga Theatre, the Bilbao Cemetery, the Stock Exchange building, and the fountains in Plaza Elíptica and the Pergola of Doña Casilda Park will be illuminated in pink and blue as a show of support for women and families who have experienced a gestational or perinatal loss.
This initiative is driven by the association Esku Hutsik, which focuses on accompanying and raising awareness about gestational, perinatal, and neonatal grief in the Basque Autonomous Community and the Chartered Community of Navarre. Its goal is to make this grief visible and provide emotional support and guidance to affected families.
According to Esku Hutsik, approximately 23 million perinatal losses occur globally each day. In the Basque Country, the perinatal mortality rate is 4.33 per 1,000 live births, with 26 infant deaths registered in 2024, 16 of which were neonatal deaths. It is estimated that one in four pregnancies does not reach full term.
Perinatal grief is the emotional process that occurs after the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, during childbirth, or after birth, encompassing situations such as miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or the loss of one baby in a multiple pregnancy.
