Fathers' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death: A meta-ethnography.

Abstract

Following a perinatal death, parents can experience mental health difficulties and social stigma around the loss that can lead to increased feelings of isolation. This meta-synthesis aimed to explore partners' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. A search of six electronic databases resulted in the inclusion of 18 studies involving over 300 fathers. Using meta-ethnography five themes: were developed 1) The pain with loss, 2) state of shock, 3) suffering in silence, 4) disconnection from the self and others' and 5) coping. A lack of support available from services or familial support networks led to isolation. Coping strategies fostering open communication often allowed fathers to process the death of their baby, and many spoke positively of their ongoing connection with their baby that died. However, consequences of unhealthy coping mechanisms, including avoidance or blame, resulted in the father's disconnection from the self, others or the world.