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Care of the Grieving Parent with Special Reference to Stillbirth

  • Chapter
Postnatal Care

Part of the book series: Midwifery Practice ((MIPRA))

Abstract

The perinatal mortality rate for England and Wales in 1988 was 8.7 for every 1000 live and stillbirths (OPCS 1988). The risk of perinatal death is higher for multiple births (McMullan 1986) and for babies in neonatal units (HC 1980). Parents who have decided on a therapeutic abortion have a painful path to tread and they too will need support in their loss, as will parents who suffer a spontaneous abortion. A midwife should be prepared therefore to help those parents who have lost their baby, either through neonatal death, stillbirth or abortion. The handicapped baby may also precipitate a sense of loss because the imagined ‘perfect child’ (Gardner 1986) will not materialise. In some instances, the mother may go home while her handicapped, sick or premature baby remains behind in the neonatal unit. The longed for perfect child is mourned while parents try to care for and love the defective baby for which they were not prepared. Their contact with the child does help to make him a ‘real person’. Mourning is generally found to be easier when there is a recognised focus for grief (Newman 1984), so that when death does occur the grieving process may be managed to give more effective resolution.

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Authors
  1. Margaret Adams
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  2. Joyce Prince
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Editor information

Jo Alexander Valerie Levy Sarah Roch

Copyright information

© 1990 Margaret Adams and Joyce Prince

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Adams, M., Prince, J. (1990). Care of the Grieving Parent with Special Reference to Stillbirth. In: Alexander, J., Levy, V., Roch, S. (eds) Postnatal Care. Midwifery Practice. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-21082-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-21082-4_7

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-333-51371-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-21082-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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