Perinatal grief: response to the loss of an infant

The grief response of parents following loss of an infant from a multiple gestation pregnancy was explored to describe the experience, compare and contrast mother's and father's responses, and analyze the properties of the Perinatal Grief Scale. Twenty-seven parents participated. Parental responses were complex and variable. Most parents disagreed with experiencing difficulty coping and despair. Confrontive, self reliant, and supportant coping strategies were used most frequently, while supportant, confrontive and optimistic strategies were reported the most effective. Anxiety, depression and alterations in activities of daily living were reported. The total impact of life events was slightly positive for this group. Although the instruments were reliable in this population of parents, sensitivity was reduced. A model of grief associated with multiple gestation perinatal loss was generated. Selection and effectiveness of coping strategies appear to be not only interrelated, but dependent on the time since the infants death and the length of the infants life. The length of an infant's life and time since death were affirmed as related to both the strength and type of relationship between variables associated with the grief response and to use and effectiveness of coping strategies. Responses of mothers and fathers appear to be similar.