Psychic and social consequences of women in relation to memories of a stillborn child : A pilot study

Prevalence and determinants of long-term psychosocial morbidity among women giving birth to a stillborn child are largely unknown. Few, if any, systematic epidemiologic studies are available. In this pilot study we investigated one alternative way to collect data from relevant patient populations and formulated some hypotheses. Moreover, questions found unhelpful in this context were identified, e.g., whether the mother had bathed her dead child or not. Fruitful hypotheses found worthwhile testing were, among others: the risk of long-term anxiety-related symptoms is reduced if (1) the woman has seen her stillborn child, (2) she has an ultrasonic or photographic picture of the child, and (3) she has gone through a ritual, primarily burial of the child; moreover, (4) divorce may be a social consequence of the intrauterine loss of a child.