Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 17, 2026
Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum
Published on: August 5, 2020
Who tells a mother her baby has died? Communication and staff presence during stillbirth delivery and early infant
K J Gold1, M C Treadwell2, M E Mieras3
1Department of Family Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Objective:
Perinatal loss (stillbirth or early infant death) is often a sudden, unexpected event for families. We evaluated who communicates the loss to the parents and who is there for support at the delivery or death.
Study Design:
We conducted a mail survey of 900 bereaved and 500 live-birth mothers to assess emotional, physical and reproductive health outcomes.
Results:
We had a 44% response rate at 9 months after birth or loss from 377 bereaved mothers and 232 with surviving infants. Bereaved women were less likely to have hospital staff or family members present at delivery. African-American (versus Caucasian) mothers were half as likely to have first heard about their stillbirth from a physician or midwife.
Conclusion:
This is the first large study documenting who communicates perinatal death to families and who is present for support. Hospitals should be aware that many bereaved families may lack support at critical times.
More Related Videos
11:50Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
11:27A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:14Fetal Circulation
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
01:29SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
01:26Endoscopic Studies II: Thoracocentesis
Description
Excess pleural fluid or air may accumulate in some respiratory disorders in the thoracic cavity. To treat pleural effusion, a physician conducts thoracentesis by carefully piercing the chest wall and entering...
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:30Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...