Health Professionals
The Stillbirth Foundation Australia has funded a research project of the Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide.
The objective of this review was to identify effective, meaningful and/or appropriate non-pharmacological, psychosocial supportive care interventions and strategies for families to improve their psychological well-being following stillbirth.
Questions
1. What are effective interventions and strategies for improving the psychological well-being of families who have experienced stillbirth?
2. What are families’ experiences of interventions and strategies aimed at improving their psychological well-being following stillbirth?
Specifically, this question examines the meaningfulness of interventions and strategies experienced by parents and families following stillbirth.
3. What is the appropriateness of interventions and strategies aimed at improving the psychological well-being of families who have experienced stillbirth?
Specifically, this question examines the cultural appropriateness of interventions following stillbirth.
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:
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:
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
The full review can be found here:
Providing care for families who have experienced stillbirth: a comprehensive systematic review
Contact
office@stillbirthfoundation.org.au
105/283 Alfred Street North, North Sydney, NSW 2060