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Interpretations of stillbirth.
Min-Tao Hsu1, Ying-Fen Tseng, Janet M Banks
1Graduate Institute of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. min@cc.kmu.edu.tw
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|July 24, 2004
Summary
Taiwanese mothers experiencing stillbirth often feel a profound sense of personal failure and guilt due to cultural taboos surrounding death and grief. This impacts their maternal identity and cultural roles, necessitating culturally sensitive support for adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Psychology
Background:
- Continuity and descendants are central to the Han Chinese value system in Taiwan.
- Stillbirth presents a significant challenge for women in a culture where death is taboo and unborn children are not recognized as fully real.
- Sociocultural context significantly shapes women's experiences and interpretations of pregnancy loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore Taiwanese mothers' interpretations of stillbirth.
- To understand the unique sociocultural context influencing these interpretations.
- To identify the impact of stillbirth on maternal identity and cultural roles.
Main Methods:
- An interpretive ethnographic approach was employed.
- Twenty women experiencing stillbirth after 20 weeks of gestation were interviewed over 2.5 years.
- Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data.
Main Results:
- Four major themes emerged: 'loss of control', 'broken dream', 'shattered self', and 'something wrong with me'.
- Interpretations revealed a strong sense of incompleteness and personal failure.
- Mothers frequently blamed themselves, leading to excessive guilt feelings impacting maternal identity and cultural roles.
Conclusions:
- Cultural taboos on discussing death and expressing grief impede adaptation and grieving processes for Taiwanese women after stillbirth.
- Nurses need to actively listen to patients' perspectives to aid in processing loss.
- Cultural beliefs must be incorporated into nursing education to ensure appropriate care for grieving mothers.