On the 2nd September 2014, the Joanna Briggs Institute published the results of the research

Associate Professor Edoardo Aromataris says that “the findings of the review showed that parents can be comforted by healthcare professionals who are prepared to involve them collaboratively in decision-making, and to provide empathetic, sensitive and respectful care at all times.” The review includes three parts.

1. Evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for parents from diagnosis to birth

A number of factors around sensitivity, empathy, validation of parents’ emotions, provision of clear, understandable information and consideration of the timing of information impact on parents’ experience of being told that their baby has died or will be stillborn. There are also implications for practice regarding the importance of preparing parents for birth with clear and collaborative explanations, parents’ preferences regarding the timing of birth and allowing parents enough time to process information.

Please find the full document here:

Evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for parents from diagnosis to birth

2. Evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for parents
immediately after birth

There are a number of critical factors centred around ensuring that parents are sensitively and supportively informed and prepared to make decisions about seeing and holding their baby. If parents do decide to see their baby, healthcare professionals can provide valuable advice and guidance to support parents in deciding how they would like to spend time with their baby, what they might like to do and especially if they would like to collect any mementos. Sensitivity, empathy, validation of parents’ emotions, provision of clear, understandable information and consideration of the timing of this information are still important at this point in the care pathway.

Please find the full document here:

Evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for parents immediately after birth

3. Evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for parents following birth

The impact of stillbirth on parents and families can last for many years and healthcare professionals should be mindful that parents need for sensitivity, empathy, validation of emotions, provision of clear, understandable information and consideration of the timing of this information does not diminish. There are a number of critical factors centred around ensuring that parents are provided with information about receiving follow-up care if and when they choose as well as important considerations for providing additional care for parents during any subsequent pregnancies, especially at the time they had experienced a stillbirth.

Please find the full document here:

Evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals providing care for parents following birth