Pilot Study of a Bereavement Referral Program for Parents Following Perinatal Death.

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Medicine
• Bereavement Care
• Community Health Programs

Background:

• Perinatal death causes significant hardship for parents.
• Community-based support may alleviate these difficulties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a new bereavement referral program (BRP) connecting parents to community resources post-perinatal death.
• To explore parent utilization of bereavement and practical resources.
• To assess the feasibility of gathering parent feedback on the BRP.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, mixed-methods study at an academic women's hospital, community organization, and children's hospital.
• Bereavement Referral Program (BRP) use was tracked via electronic health records.
• Parents (mothers and partners) were surveyed and interviewed 6 months post-perinatal death.

Main Results:

• 15.7% of eligible mothers utilized the BRP.
• 87% of surveyed individuals used community bereavement resources; 26% used practical resources.
• Interviews revealed themes on resource use, value, barriers, and BRP feedback.

Conclusions:

• The BRP implementation faced challenges but indicated potential for meeting parent needs.
• Future research should quantitatively assess the BRP's impact on self-efficacy and parent outcomes.