Impact of Perinatal Death on the Social and Family Context of the Parents

Abstract

Background: Perinatal death (PD) is a painful experience, with physical, psychological and social consequences in families. Each year, there are 2.7 million perinatal deaths in the world and about 2000 in Spain. The aim of this study was to explore, describe and understand the impact of perinatal death on parents’ social and family life. Methods: A qualitative study based on Gadamer’s hermeneutic phenomenology was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 mothers and eight fathers who had suffered a perinatal death. Inductive analysis was used to find themes based on the data. Results: Seven sub-themes emerged, and they were grouped into two main themes: 1) perinatal death affects family dynamics, and 2) the social environment of the parents is severely affected after perinatal death. Conclusions: PD impacts the family dynamics of the parents and their family, social and work environments. Parents perceive that society trivializes their loss and disallows or delegitimizes their grief. Implications: Social care, health and education providers should pay attention to all family members who have suffered a PD. The recognition of the loss within the social and family environment would help the families to cope with their grief.

“Your heart keeps bleeding”: lived experiences of parents with a perinatal death in Northern Uganda

“…Perinatal death can negatively affect women and men not just physically and emotionally [ 9 ] but also in terms of long-lasting economic and psychosocial wellbeing [ 10 ]. Most family members experience the effects of perinatal death individually [ 11 ]. Although parents experience painful grief after a perinatal loss [ 12 ], the grief reactions are shown to vary across gender [ 13 ].…”

Causes of perinatal mortality and associated maternal factors in a tertiary referral hospital of Gandaki province of Nepal: a cross-sectional study from a hospital-based surveillance

“…Perinatal deaths affect the dynamics of the parents and family and their social wellbeing. The parents regard that society underestimates their loss; therefore, the community leaders and health care providers should pay attention to the family members who have suffered a perinatal death [ 10 ]. Along with its effects on the family members, perinatal death also creates emotional effects on obstetricians and physicians [ 11 ].…”

Fathers’ Experiences of Perinatal Loss: A Sample Meta-Synthesis Study

“…As a result, some parents feel that social and health professionals do not provide them adequate support (Fernández-Basanta et al, 2020). In some cultures, early losses, such as the loss of a pregnancy, are considered less pain and grief; the grief process is prevented from completing, the parents' grief is silenced, and parents often question the significance of the loss (Fernández-Sola et al, 2020;Meaney et al, 2017). In this study, the methods of coping with loss were examined under three sub-themes: spirituality, acceptance, and ignorance.…”

“…In some families, people reject talking about the loss because it is a different kind of grief in which no flowers and cards are sent, no visitors come, and no religious ceremonies are performed (Markin and Zilcha-Mano, 2018). However, making this grief noticeable, and to create consciousness in people may be meaningful for parents (Fernández-Sola et al, 2020). In some cultures, social structure and religion enable parents to make sense of loss and deal with it.…”

“…Parents who experience pregnancy loss postpone the next pregnancy plan or experience high levels of anxiety, depression, and fear in the next pregnancy, their prenatal attachment decreases (Armstrong, 2004;Meaney et al, 2016), and they do not show enough attention to other children in the family (Körükcü & Kukulu, 2010). All these negative situations may negatively affect relationships, roles, and responsibilities within the family (Armstrong, 2001;Fernández-Sola et al, 2020), and may cause the deterioration of family dynamics and even the termination of marriages (Due et al, 2017;Hamama-Raz et al, 2010;Swanson et al, 2003). For this reason, it is of great importance for family health to include not only the mother but also the father, siblings, and even other family members when necessary in the support programs during the grief process due to the loss of pregnancy (Nguyen et al, 2019).…”