Background Provision of an empathetic, sensitive, caring environment and strategies to support mothers, fathers and their families experiencing perinatal death are now an accepted part of maternity services in many countries. Interventions such as psychological support or counselling, or both, have been suggested to improve outcomes for parents and families a er perinatal death. Objectives To assess the e ect of any form of intervention (i.e. medical, nursing, midwifery, social work, psychology, counselling or community-based) on parents and families who experience perinatal death. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (28 January 2013) and article bibliographies. Selection criteria Randomised trials of any form of support aimed at encouraging acceptance of loss, bereavement counselling, or specialised psychotherapy or counselling for mothers, fathers and families experiencing perinatal death. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed eligibility of trials. Main results No trials were included. Authors' conclusions Primary healthcare interventions and a strong family and social support network are invaluable to parents and families around the time a baby dies. However, due to the lack of high-quality randomised trials conducted in this area, the true benefits of currently existing interventions aimed at providing support for mothers, fathers and families experiencing perinatal death is unclear. Further, the currently available evidence around the potential detrimental e ects of some interventions (e.g. seeing and holding a deceased baby) remains inconclusive at this point in time. However, some well-designed descriptive studies have shown that, under the right circumstances and guided by compassionate, sensitive, experienced sta , parents' experiences of seeing and holding their deceased baby is o en very positive. The sensitive nature of this topic and small sample sizes, make it di icult to develop rigorous clinical trials. Hence, other research Support for mothers, fathers and families a er perinatal death (Review)

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BackgroundFollowing previous perinatal loss, women in a subsequent pregnancy may experience heightened emotions, such as anxiety and fear, with a range of longer-term implications. To support these women, the Mater Mothers’ Bereavement Support Service in Brisbane, Australia, developed a Pregnancy After Loss Clinic (PALC) as a specialised hospital-based service. The present study investigated the experiences of mothers with previous perinatal loss in relation to: (a) their subsequent pregnancy-to-birth journey, and (b) the PALC service. Such research seeks to inform the ongoing development of effective perinatal services.MethodA qualitative interview-based research design was employed with a purposive sample of 10 mothers who had previously experienced perinatal loss and who attended the Mater Mothers’ PALC during their subsequent pregnancy in 2015. All mothers had subsequently delivered a live baby and were in a relationship with the father of the new baby. Women were aged between 22 and 39 years, primiparous or multiparous, and from a range of cultural backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews, conducted either at the hospital or by telephone by an experienced, independent researcher, lasted between 20 min and one hour. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with participant names changed. Interviews were analysed using content analysis by two researchers who were not involved in the service delivery or data gathering process.ResultsSeven themes were identified from the interview material: The overall experience, The unique experience of first pregnancy after loss, Support from PALC, Experiences of other services, Recommendations for PALC services, Need for alternative services, and Advice: Mother to mother.ConclusionsParticipants spoke positively of the PALC services for themselves and their families. Anxieties over their subsequent pregnancy, and the desire for other health professionals to be more understanding were frequently raised. Recommendations were made to extend the PALC service and to develop similar services to support access for other families experiencing perinatal loss.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1200-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Provision of an empathetic caring environment, and strategies to enable the mother, father and family to accept the reality of perinatal death, are now an accepted part of standard nursing and social support in most of the developed world. Provision of interventions such as psychological support or counselling, or both, has been suggested to improve outcomes for families after a perinatal death. Objectives The objective of this review was to assess the effects of the provision of any form of medical, nursing, social or psychological support or counselling, or both, to mother, father and families after perinatal death. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 October 2007) and reference lists of articles. Selection criteria Randomised trials of any form of general support aimed at encouraging acceptance of loss, specific bereavement counselling, or specialised psychological support/counselling including psychotherapy for mother, father and families experiencing perinatal death. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed eligibility of trials; a third person subsequently assessed the quality of the identified trials as a part of this review update. Main results No trials were included.

Although people with life-limiting conditions report a desire to have spiritual concerns addressed, there is evidence that these issues are often avoided by health care professionals in palliative care. This study reports on the longitudinal outcomes of four workshops purpose-designed to improve the spiritual knowledge and confidence of 120 palliative care staff in Australia. Findings revealed significant increases in Spirituality, Spiritual Care, Personalised Care, and Confidence in this field immediately following the workshops. Improvements in Spiritual Care and Confidence were maintained 3 month later, with Confidence continuing to grow. These findings suggest that attendance at a custom-designed workshop can significantly improve knowledge and confidence to provide spiritual care.