We suggest that the "qualities" identified by the study findings should be implemented in clinical care, and could facilitate active guidance and counseling for bereaved parents who have experienced a stillbirth.

No abstract

In this study the authors describe parents' experiences of support over a 2-year period after a stillbirth and its effect on parental grief. Data was collected by questionnaire from 33 mothers and 22 fathers at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after a stillbirth. Midwives, physicians, counselors, and priests--at the hospital where the stillbirth occurred--are those on the front line providing professional support. The support from family and friends was seen to be important 2 years after the stillbirth. The need for professional support after stillbirth can differ, depending on the support provided by family, friends, and social networks. They may not fully realize the value of their support and how to be supportive. Printed educational materials given to individuals in the social network or family might therefore be helpful.

Our study suggests that mothers and fathers need to be emotionally supported in the encounter with their stillborn child. The mothers' scoring of lower well-being may be due to a stronger antenatal attachment to the child. This should, however, be a subject of further studies.

This study aims to capture parental descriptions of how siblings take leave of and mourn a stillborn brother or sister and how their parents support them. Data were collected by questionnaires from 16 parents of siblings to a stillborn child one year after the stillbirth. Data were analysed numerically for the multiple-choice questions and content analysis was used for parental comments and descriptions. The results describe siblings' farewell to a stillborn brother or sister and how their parents in the midst of their own grief were involved in supporting siblings' wellbeing, and observed their mourning reactions. Although the findings need to be interpreted with caution, they may provide insight that enables staff to become more sensitive to the whole family experience in the practice of their profession. Further research into siblings' grief and parental support after stillbirth is crucial so that further light may be shed on their situation.

he moment just after the birth of a stillborn baby elicits strong emotions in the mother and father. Actions by health professionals and the atmosphere surrounding the birth may determine the nature of the mothers´ and fathers´ contact with their baby as well as their long-term psychological health (Rådestad et al, 2007; Rådestad et al, 1996; DeFrain et al, 1990; Forrest et al, 1982). One research group (Hughes et al, 2002) suggests that the moment a mother meets her stillborn baby often sets the stage for future long-term stress disorder for the mother but they present no data on this meeting. A studyspecific questionnaire investigated mothers' feelings when holding their stillborn baby has been constructed.

The aim of this study was to identify physicians' approaches to pregnancy subsequent to the birth of a stillborn child. In a 48-question, cross-sectional survey performed in 1997 one specific question dealt with advice given to the women/parents about possible subsequent pregnancy. The present study analyzes the responses to that open-ended question. Fifty-eight out of 61 Swedish hospitals with departments of obstetrics and gynecology participated in the study. Of 594 physicians, 552 answered the open-ended question (93%) with 802 items of advice. The most frequent approach to subsequent pregnancy, expressed by a majority of physicians, was their own support to the couples (59%). Regarding gender differences the females were more likely to mention support strategies than their colleagues (p = 0.005). Significantly more female gynecologists than male (p = 0.005) recommended care during the new pregnancy at a special antenatal clinic. The statement that 'advice depends on diagnosis' was made by 27%, while 22% advocated that parents first work through the grief of the stillbirth (mentioned significantly more often by females, p = 0.014). A minority of physicians mention giving specific advice about the timing of next pregnancy. The study highlights physicians' concerns to support parents through a subsequent pregnancy whilst demonstrating that considerable variation exists in their advice, or lack of it, with regard to timing of another pregnancy.

We studied the advice mothers with stillbirths were given concerning a suitable time to become pregnant. A questionnaire was sent in 2001 to mothers with a stillbirth at one of five hospitals in the Stockholm region in Sweden. At three months follow-up, 33 mothers participated and at 12 months 31. The advices varied from waiting one to 12 months. Eleven mothers were advised to trust their own feelings of readiness and six were advised to wait until they had dealt with their grief before becoming pregnant. At one year post-loss, most of the mothers felt that a suitable time for a subsequent pregnancy was as soon as the mother herself wanted. Mothers whose baby had died in utero were given radically different kinds of advice concerning a suitable time for a subsequent pregnancy. The best advice seems to be that the mother should wait until she, herself, feels ready.