Perinatal Grief and Related Factors After Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Anomaly: One-Year Follow-up Study

Anxiety, depression, somatization and psychological distress before and 2-6 years after a late termination of pregnancy due to fetal anomalies

BACKGROUND

For many women, a late termination of pregnancy (TOP) can be an enormous psychological burden. Few studies have investigated the long-term psychological impact of late TOP.

METHODS

N = 90 women answered a questionnaire containing questions about anxiety, depression and somatization (Brief-Symptom Inventory, BSI-18) shortly before (T1) and 2-6 years after (T4) their late termination of pregnancy.

RESULTS

Prior to the late TOP, 57.8% of participants showed above-average levels of overall psychological distress (66.7% anxiety, 51.1% depression, 37.8% somatization). This number decreased significantly over time for all scales of the BSI-18. 2-6 years later, only 10.0% of women still reported above-average levels (17.8% anxiety, 11.1% depression, 10.0% somatization).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support those of previous research showing that late TOP has a substantial psychological impact on those experiencing it in the short-term. In the long-term, most women return to normal levels of psychological distress, although some still show elevated levels. Limitations of the study include monocentric data collection, drop-out between T1 and T4, and the relatively wide range of two to six years after TOP. Further research should be conducted in order to identify factors that impact the psychological processing of the experience.

"You Are in the Middle of a Road, a Road With No End": Experiences of Women Who Underwent Medical Termination of Their Pregnancies: A Phenomenologıcal Study

This article focused on the experiences of women who underwent medical termination of their pregnancies. The study adopted a qualitative phenomenological research design with a sample of 20 pregnant women. Data were collected between April and June 2022 using a personal information form and a semistructured individual interview. The qualitative data were analyzed into 4 categories: "psychosocial impacts," "impacts on functionality," "coping," and "expectations." These categories comprised 8 themes and 24 subthemes. Nurses play a crucial role in adopting family-centered approaches to offer holistic care. They should prioritize providing physical care throughout the medical termination, while also assessing the psychological impact of fetal loss. Perinatal palliative care and bereavement counseling should be integrated into care practices.

Initial Impact of Perinatal Loss on Mothers and Their Partners

(1) Background: Perinatal Loss affects one in ten women worldwide. It is known to have a deep impact on the physical and psychological wellbeing of the mother. Moreover, there is a lack of information in regard to gender differences. The role of culture, environment, personal characteristics, and gender is yet to be determined in most reports; (2) Objective and Methods: Our aim is to study the initial impact of perinatal losses in an unselected sample of couples, focusing on gender differences. We conducted a longitudinal prospective study with 29 mothers and 17 fathers. Upon discharge from the hospital, they filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), among others. After one-month post-loss, they performed the EPDS and the Short Version of the Perinatal Grief Scale. We used descriptive statistics for the sample and non-parametric tests for the comparison of gender; (3) Results: We found no gender differences in initial depressive symptoms, nor in depressive symptoms, perinatal grief symptoms, or grief level (total scores or complicated grief) one month after the loss; (4) Conclusions: we need to better understand the psychological evolution of couples in cases of perinatal loss without falling into preconceived ideas about the influence of gender.

The Trauma of Perinatal Loss: A Scoping Review

Perinatal loss, the loss of a fetus or neonate between conception and 28 days after birth, is a worldwide phenomenon impacting millions of individuals annually. Whether due to miscarriage, stillbirth, life-limiting fetal diagnoses, or neonatal death, up to 60% of bereaved parents exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms, perinatal loss is not framed using a trauma lens. The purpose of this scoping review is to gain insight into the trauma within the perinatal loss experience.