The impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To explore the lived experiences and personal impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents.

Methods

Semi-structured in-depth interviews analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) on a purposive sample of parents of twelve babies born following fetal death at a tertiary university maternity hospital in Ireland with a birth rate of c8,500 per annum and a stillbirth rate of 4.6/1000.

Results

Stillbirth had a profound and enduring impact on bereaved parents. Four superordinate themes relating to the human impact of stillbirth emerged from the data: maintaining hope, importance of the personhood of the baby, protective care and relationships (personal and professional). Bereaved parents recalled in vivid detail their experiences of care following diagno

SUBMITTER: Nuzum D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5783401 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature