Parental behavior after perinatal death: twelve years of observations

Perinatal death is a tragic occurrence, and parents vary in their needs and how they express grief. This prospective study describes choices parents made regarding contact with their baby following stillbirth or immediate neonatal death. Between 1 January 1979 and 1 March 1991, 808 consecutive families were enrolled in the Perinatal Mortality Counseling Program at the University of Florida. Following perinatal death, most parents wanted contact with their baby to personalize the event, information about the death and follow-up from their health care providers. However, no option was chosen by all parents. This large study strongly supports offering choices to all parents. Providers should neither bias parents nor make presumptions that would limit parental choices.