Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on bereavement care provided within maternity services: A focused mapping review and synthesis

Background

Perinatal bereavement is the experience of parents after the death of an infant due to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or elective termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly. Perinatal loss is a traumatic event for parents and the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals (HCPs) can impact their grieving process. In March 2020, Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, with significant consequences on perinatal bereavement services.

Aim

To explore parents and HCPs experiences of perinatal bereavement care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods

A focused mapping review and synthesis was used to identify papers which concentrated on perinatal bereavement care within maternity services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Studies meeting the criteria in peer reviewed midwifery, obstetric and healthcare journals (n = 6), published between Jan 2020-Feb 2025 were descriptively analysed, providing a topography and synthesis of the key trends identified.

Findings

Fourteen relevant studies were identified in the review period, six of which met the inclusion criteria, with two themes identified: Maternity service reconfiguration due to Covid-19 restrictions and Loneliness and anxiety inducing experiences among parents.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted bereavement care within maternity services. Maternity reconfiguration because of the pandemic was a major contributor to dissatisfaction and frustration amongst bereaved parents and HCPs. Exclusion of partners had a negative effect on parents’ experiences of care, augmenting the loneliness and anxiety felt by parents when dealing with loss. Perinatal bereavement guidelines need to accentuate the importance of partner inclusion in any context but particularly when providing care to women requiring isolation or barrier nursing. Guidelines must be reviewed to clearly outline when the use of virtual care is appropriate within the maternity setting. Additional research is needed to assess the long-term impacts of Covid 19 on HCPs. Such research includes identifying effective mechanisms to help staff deal with the stress and emotional impact of future public health emergencies.