Seeing and Holding Baby: Systematic Review of Clinical Management and Parental Outcomes After Stillbirth

Abstract

BackgroundIn 2009 there were an estimated 2.6 million stillbirths worldwide. In the

Provision of Meaningful Care at Diagnosis, Birth, and after Stillbirth: A Qualitative Synthesis of Parents' Experiences

“…The findings of this review suggest that the manner in which health care professionals approach and provide care for parents experiencing stillbirth may be remembered by parents well into the future and may have a lasting impact on parents' grief and subsequent well being. This is in agreement with previous research and highlights the importance of clear evidence‐based guidance for health care professionals and health services about care during and after stillbirth to achieve the best possible outcomes for parents and other family members. The findings of this review have, with consultation from an expert advisory group, informed the creation of evidence‐based guidance for health care professionals on the provision of meaningful care strategies for parents who experience stillbirth .…”

“…Parents who had not seen their baby often expressed regret at not having done so or not having done more with their babies . This result concurs with the findings of a recent review that focused on evidence of benefit and harm for parents after seeing and holding their stillborn baby, and concluded that contact with the baby may be beneficial for parents' well being after stillbirth . The findings of this review suggest that the manner in which health care professionals approach and provide care for parents experiencing stillbirth may be remembered by parents well into the future and may have a lasting impact on parents' grief and subsequent well being.…”

“…For example, there is no clear consensus on whether or not parents should be encouraged to see or hold their stillborn baby. Some research suggests adverse effects in mothers who held their baby , however these results have been debated by other researchers and by parents of stillborn babies , and more recent research indicates positive effects for parents who see and hold their stillborn baby .…”

Just another ordinary bad birth? A narrative analysis of first time mothers' traumatic birth experiences

“…Client centred communication is an important aspect of the midwifepatient relationship and women appreciated continuity of care that followed individualized pathways (Baas, Erwich, Wiegers, de Cock, & Hutton, 2015). Similar findings from a qualitative synthesis were recommended for those parents who had experienced intrauterine death and stillbirth (Lisy, Peters, Riitano Jordan, & Aromataris 2016; see also Kingdom, Givens & O'Donnell, 2015).…”

Angels in the Clouds: Stillbirth and Virtual Cemeteries on 50 YouTube Videos

“…According to others, however, seeing, touching the child and saying goodbye are associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression for the two years following death (Cacciatore et al, 2008;Kingdon et al, 2015;Reynolds, 2004;Wijngaards-de Meij et al, 2008). Having known the real child and being in contact with him can therefore mitigate the levels of grief, providing a comfort and comparison in the process of recognition and acceptance of death (Wijngaardsde Meij et al, 2008).…”