Support for Young Black Urban Women After Perinatal Loss.
Kimberly H Fenstermacher, Judith E Hupcey
PMID 30444741WHAT IT FOUND
Young urban black women after perinatal loss described needing honest direct information, encouragement to hold their baby, mementos, family and faith support, and follow-up calls; some hospital bereavement groups felt mismatched.
Key findings
01During the loss event, the women wanted honest, direct answers about what was happening and whether their baby would survive.
02Several women chose to hold their baby after encouragement from nurses, and all who held the baby were grateful for the opportunity.
03Some participants said hospital-based perinatal bereavement support groups felt unhelpful because they were surrounded by married couples or older participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was 8 women, so the themes may not represent all young black women after perinatal loss. Participants were non-Hispanic urban black women aged 18 to 21 years, unmarried, English speaking, and had no prolonged hospital stay, so findings may not transfer to older women, partnered women, other racial or ethnic groups, or women with complex medical courses. All participants delivered in hospitals with perinatal bereavement support programs, and support varied by gestational age and hospital resources, so the paper cannot show what happens without such programs. The study is qualitative and reports experiences and support needs, not measured effects of any nursing intervention. Findings are a secondary analysis of data originally collected to build a theory, which may limit the focus on support needs.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not state a source of funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these support practices as proven effective. The study describes what 8 young women said helped or did not help after perinatal loss, not a tested bereavement intervention, so it cannot show that any practice reduces grief or improves outcomes.