Perinatal Loss and Parental Grief Management

Perinatal loss encompasses miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death and represents a profound psychosocial challenge for bereaved parents. The immediate impact often involves intense grief, anxiety and a sense of disenfranchisement amid societal taboos. Parental responses vary across cultures and genders, with fathers reporting different patterns of emotional suppression and mothers more frequently experiencing depression and anxiety. Effective grief management integrates early recognition of complicated grief trajectories, continuity of bereavement care and options for memory making such as creating tangible keepsakes. Multidisciplinary models emphasise the role of perinatal palliative care in cases of lethal foetal anomalies, combining antenatal counselling, psychological support and tailored aftercare. Digital platforms and peer-support networks have emerged as pivotal resources, breaking silence and fostering communal load sharing. Ongoing research highlights the need for adaptable interventions that span from hospital-based bereavement clinics to community education, aiming to reduce isolation and enhance resilience. Clinicians are encouraged to adopt sensitive communication strategies, ensure privacy and facilitate informed decision-making, thereby mitigating long-term psychological sequelae and supporting parental adjustment.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Perinatal Loss and Parental Grief Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in perinatal loss and parental grief management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Perinatal loss: Spontaneous abortion, stillbirth or early neonatal death occurring around the time of birth.

Disenfranchised grief: Grief that is not socially recognised or validated.

Perinatal palliative care: Multidisciplinary care aimed at supporting families when a foetal condition is life-limiting.

Communal load sharing: Collective emotional and informational support exchanged within peer networks.

Antenatal: Relating to the period before birth, often referring to care provided during pregnancy.

References

1. ‘You’re never pregnant in the same way again’: prior early pregnancy loss influences need for health care and support in subsequent pregnancy. Human Reproduction Open (2023).
2. Communal Load Sharing of Miscarriage Experiences: Thematic Analysis of Social Media Community Support. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2024).
3. Systematic review to understand and improve care after stillbirth: a review of parents’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2016).
4. Silent loss and the clinical encounter: Parents’ and physicians’ experiences of stillbirth–a qualitative analysis. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2012).
5. Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: a systematic review and emerging theoretical model. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2020).
6. The model of palliative care in the perinatal setting: a review of the literature. BMC Pediatrics (2012).
7. “It’s just one of those things people don’t seem to talk about...” women’s experiences of social support following miscarriage: a qualitative study. BMC Women's Health (2018).
8. Depressive disorder and grief following spontaneous abortion. BMC Psychiatry (2016).