Addressing Stillbirth in India Must Include Men.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Men's Mental Health

Background:

• Reducing child mortality (Millennium Development Goal 4) necessitates global stillbirth reduction.
• India faces high stillbirth rates due to combined medical and sociocultural factors.
• The psychosocial impact of stillbirth on men, especially in non-Western contexts, requires further understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore men's perceptions and knowledge of reproductive and maternal-child health in India.
• To investigate the psychosocial aftermath of stillbirth for men in the Indian context.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of key informant interviews (n=5).
• Conduction of 28 structured interviews using a survey based on qualitative themes.

Main Results:

• Qualitative findings highlight men's dual burden, reproductive decision-making power, and pressure for subsequent conception, sometimes involving a second wife.
• Quantitative data show men with stillbirth history exhibit higher anxiety/depression and less social support, but hold more egalitarian views.
• Fathers of stillbirths were more prone to emotional or physical abuse; predictors of mental health and attitudes are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Patriarchal values, son preference, low female autonomy, and sex-selective abortion increase stillbirth risk and negative infant outcomes.
• Grief interventions must incorporate men's perspectives on reproductive decision-making, attitudes, and behaviors.