Materials
Midwives' perceptions of care following perinatal loss
2005 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 2_49-2_58
Details
2005 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 2_49-2_58
Purpose
The purpose of this survey is to clarify how midwives have given cares to mothers and the families who experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of a newborn baby.
Method
Researcher provided questionnaires to 108 local midwives and asked to return it after filling the paper via post office mail. The contents of the questionnaire were: 10 questions regarding if they encountered death of a perinatal baby or a newborn baby, and whether they suggested mother and her family to meet the dead baby, 10 questions to find if they have tried the early stage care to comfort mothers and the families, and 6 question to find if midwives provided or have been providing continuous cares to mothers and the families, and the total was 26 questions. We also asked midwives to indicate how frequently they performed these care activities, and to rank their self-assessment whether they were capable to do the work independently, or wished assistants or supervisors would help them. We then asked midwives to give us comments if mothers were healed by their cares, or if they faced any difficulties.
Results
46 midwives (42.6%) responded the questionnaires. More than 50% of midwives had practiced 13 cases out of 26, which were suggesting meeting the baby and telling how to overcome the sadness. Among midwives' cares for death of a prenatal or newborn baby, cares that midwives can do independently were suggesting to meet the baby and guiding how to overcome the sadness. However, they thought it was hard to give continuous cares to mothers and her families. Cares which, midwives felt, were positively accepted by mothers and her families were suggestions to make memories of the baby, and to meet the baby to be with it. On the other hands, difficulties they pointed out were confused sentiment and complicated emotions of their own, hardness of giving continuous cares, and having consultation from the specialists.
Conclusion
These results suggest that midwives need to communicate with other midwives and/or colleagues, so that they could examine if they gave cares aptly for perinatal loss, and then if it would be possible to ask community midwives to give continuous cares.
