Siblings’ farewell to a stillborn sister or brother and parents’ support to their older children: a questionnaire study from the parents’ perspective

Abstract

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.

School Aged Children’s Experiences 7 and 13 Months Following a Sibling’s Death

“…Avelin et al (2011) in a study of 25 Swedish parents found that surviving children may feel different from friends and classmates, think they are the only ones to experience a sibling’s death, and feel the loss of their grieving parents. In studies with 11 South African teens (Demmer and Rothschild 2011), 19 children who lost a sibling to stillbirth (Erlandsson et al 2010), and 10 White siblings (Warland et al 2011) children maintained a relationship with the deceased sibling through singing favorite songs, looking at photographs, and talking or writing to the deceased, findings consistent with those of Fanos et al (2009). Girard and Silber (2011) note that some children are afraid that others they love will die.…”

“…Black non-Hispanic parents viewed the reason for the child’s life, the extensive care needed and subsequent death as serving to bring the members of the family closer. Some parents and cultures prevent children from seeing the deceased sibling and/or attending the funeral (Erlandsson et al 2010; Lobar et al 2006) resulting in children’s feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and jealousy (Nolbris and Hellström 2005). …”

“…The most frequent behaviors Swedish parents observed in their 7 to 12-year-old children in the first year after an infant sibling’s death were crying, silence and visiting the grave (Erlandsson et al 2010). Children were worried about the mother’s health, nervous, tense and silent.…”

“…In contrast, infants’ and children’s NICU or PICU deaths may be abrupt and frightening, in environments of loud noises, bright lights, and staff who are strangers (Brooten et al 2013). In addition, research in this area had small samples (Erlandsson et al 2010; Warland et al 2011), mainly White participants (Birenbaum 2000; Gerhardt et al 2012), a wide age range of children in the samples and methodological weaknesses. Most data were collected on parents’ perceptions of surviving children’s responses which often differ from children’s own responses (Lohan and Murphy 2001–2002; Roche et al 2016).…”

Adolescents' Experiences 7 and 13 Months After the Death of a Brother or Sister

“…Research on responses of child and adolescent survivors is heavily focused on those whose siblings died from cancer, 15,16 with small samples, 17,18 mainly White participants 7,19 and methodological weaknesses. Most data are collected on parents’ perceptions of surviving children’s responses 20,21 which can differ from children’s responses.…”