The psychological, social, and economic impact of stillbirth on families

Murphy, Samantha; Cacciatore, Joanne

doi:10.1016/j.siny.2017.02.002

Cited by 60 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Despite continued global advancements in reproductive healthcare, both pregnancy loss and the death of a newborn baby within the rst 28 days following birth (neonatal death) continue to be devastating realities for many families. The pervasive psychological and emotional impacts of parents' grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal death are now well-recognised [1][2][3][4]. Parents frequently report experiences of stigma, shame and disenfranchisement through minimisation of their loss from others, which can complicate their grief [5][6][7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Obst

Oxlad

Due

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Historically, men’s experiences of grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal death have been under-explored in comparison to women. However, investigating men’s perspectives is important, given potential gendered differences concerning grief styles, help-seeking and service access. Few studies have comprehensively examined the various individual, interpersonal, community and system/policy-level factors which may contribute to the intensity of grief in bereaved parents, particularly for men. Methods: Men (N = 228) who had experienced an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly, or neonatal death within the last 20 years responded to an online survey exploring their experiences of grief. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the factors associated with men’s grief intensity and style. Results: Men experienced significant grief across all loss types, with the average score sitting above the minimum cut-off considered to be a high degree of grief. Eight factors significantly contributed to men’s grief: type of loss experienced, their age at the time of loss, loss history, marital satisfaction, availability of social support, acknowledgement of their grief from family/friends, time spent bonding with the baby during pregnancy, and feeling as though their role of ‘supporter’ conflicted with their grief process. Factors contributing to grief also differed depending on grief style. Intuitive (emotion-focused) grief was associated with viewing an ultrasound during pregnancy, ethnicity, and support received from healthcare professionals. Instrumental (activity-focused) grief was associated with time and quality of attachment to the baby during pregnancy, availability of social support, acknowledgement of men’s grief from their female partner, supporter role interfering with their grief, and tendencies toward self-reliance.Conclusions: Following pregnancy loss and neonatal death, men can experience high levels of grief, requiring acknowledgement and validation from all healthcare professionals, family/friends, community networks and workplaces. Addressing male-specific needs, such as balancing a desire to both support and be supported, requires tailored information and support. Strategies to support men should consider grief styles and draw upon father-inclusive practice recommendations. Further research is required to explore the underlying causal mechanisms of associations found.Trial registration: N/A

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Obst

Oxlad

Due

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Perinatal death (i.e., stillbirth and neonatal death) has profound short-and long-term psychological effects on parents, such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, guilt, shame and post-traumatic stress [4], with bereaved parents also facing increased likelihood of marital dissolution [5]. Healthcare professionals managing perinatal loss commonly struggle with feelings of guilt, rage, frustration, sense of personal failure, helplessness [6] and the burden of professional responsibility [7] and are at increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and psychosomatic disorders [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions and experiences of using a cold cot following the loss of a baby: a qualitative study in maternity and neonatal units in the UK

Smith

Vasileiou

Jordan

2020

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Best practice in perinatal bereavement care suggests offering parents the opportunity to spend time with their baby. Cold cots facilitate this purpose by reducing the deterioration of the body and evidence indicates their wide availability in maternity and neonatal units in the UK. This study aimed to examine healthcare professionals' perceptions and experiences of using a cold cot following the loss of a baby. Methods: A qualitative cross-sectional study was designed. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 maternity and neonatal unit healthcare professionals who worked across three UK hospital settings. Data were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Findings revealed that staff had predominantly positive views about, and experiences of, using a cold cot. The technology was highly valued because it facilitated parents to spend time with their baby and participants reported that it was generally easy to use and smoothly embedded into the clinical environment. Cold cots were deemed useful when mothers were medically unwell and needed time to recover, when parents struggled to say goodbye to their baby, wished to take the baby home, or wanted their baby to stay in the unit instead of going straight to the mortuary. The use of technology was further perceived to be relevant in scenarios of unexpected loss, post-mortem examination and with babies of late gestations or neonates. Despite staff expressing comfort with the delay of visual and olfactory body changes, the coldness of the baby's body that was accelerated with the use of a cold cot was a major concern as it connoted and possibly exacerbated the reality of death. Conclusions: Cold cots allow the materialisation of modern bereavement care practices that recognise the importance of continuing bonds with the deceased that is made possible through the creation of memories within an extremely restricted timeframe. Simultaneously, the body coldness concentrates the ambivalence toward an inherently paradoxical death, that of a baby. Training in perinatal bereavement care, including the use of cold cots, would help staff support bereaved parents whilst acknowledging dilemmas and managing contradictions encompassed in death at the time or near the time of birth.

show abstract

“…In line with recent investigations which have highlighted similar social and economic consequences of stillbirth [27,114], there is potential to re-examine current paternity and bereavement leave policies [66,80].…”

Section: Predictors Of Griefmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The database searches identified 1,529 potentially eligible studies. A further 23 articles were sourced manually from database-identified articles and systematic reviews [27,37,38], resulting in a total of 1,552 articles. Following removal of duplicates and screening, a total of 46 studies were selected for inclusion in the final analysis and were agreed upon by all authors (See Figure 1 for the PRISMA flow diagram).…”

Section: Study Yieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: A systematic review and emerging theoretical model

Obst

Due

Oxlad

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background : Emotional distress following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss is common, with enduring grief occurring for many parents. However, little is known about men's grief, since the majority of existing literature and subsequent bereavement care guidelines have focused on women. To develop a comprehensive understanding of men's grief, this systematic review sought to summarise and appraise the literature focusing on men's grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss. Methods :A systematic review was undertaken with searches completed across four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL). These were guided by two research questions: 1) what are men's experiences of grief following pregnancy/neonatal loss; and 2) what are the predictors of men's grief following pregnancy/neonatal loss? Eligible articles were qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods empirical studies including primary data on men's grief, published between 1998 and October 2018.Eligibility for loss type included miscarriage or stillbirth (by any definition), termination of pregnancy for nonviable foetal anomaly, and neonatal death up to 28 days after a live birth. Results : A final sample of 46 articles were identified, including 26 qualitative, 19 quantitative, and one mixed methods paper. Findings indicate that men's grief experiences are highly varied, and current grief measures may not capture all of the complexities of grief for men. Qualitative studies identified that in comparison to women, men may face different challenges including expectations to support female partners, and a lack of social recognition for their grief and subsequent needs. Men may face doubledisenfranchised grief in relation to the pregnancy/neonatal loss experience. Conclusion : There is a need to increase the accessibility of support services for men following pregnancy/neonatal loss, and to provide recognition and validation of their experiences of grief. Cohort studies are required among varied groups of bereaved men to confirm grief-predictor relationships, and to refine an emerging socio-ecological model of men's grief.

show abstract

The psychological, social, and economic impact of stillbirth on families

Cited by 60 publications

References 54 publications

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions and experiences of using a cold cot following the loss of a baby: a qualitative study in maternity and neonatal units in the UK

Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: A systematic review and emerging theoretical model

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About