Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
10:00
Measurement of Lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: January 7, 2013
[Dying at Life's Beginning]
F Frank1, F Maurer2, J Pehlke-Milde1
1Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Gesundheit, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband Der Arzte Des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany))
|January 28, 2017
Summary
Parents facing a terminal prenatal diagnosis experience shock, dilemmas, and grief. Improved support for these families is crucial, regardless of their pregnancy decision, to address psychological needs.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Psychology
- Ethics
Background:
- Terminal prenatal diagnoses present parents with profound ethical dilemmas and the inevitability of loss.
- Perinatal child loss due to lethal fetal anomalies is a significant life event causing long-lasting psychological distress.
- Supportive care tailored to bereaved parents' needs can alleviate suffering, irrespective of pregnancy continuation or termination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine current counseling and support practices for families with terminal prenatal diagnoses.
- To develop practical guidelines for healthcare and social professionals assisting these families.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving 32 parents in German-speaking Switzerland (December 2012 - March 2014).
- Semi-structured, problem-centered interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed.
Main Results:
- Six key themes emerged from diagnosis to birth: shock, choices/dilemmas, responsibility, continued pregnancy, saying goodbye/letting go, and future planning.
- Identified critical care gaps and discrepancies between parental experiences and healthcare professionals' perspectives.
Conclusions:
- The study offers insights into parental responses to fatal prenatal diagnoses.
- Findings advocate for a reevaluation of current midwifery, healthcare, and palliative care practices during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods.
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