Since the 1980s, doctors have commonly encouraged mothers to see and even hold their stillborn infant, believing that it reduced symptoms of grief. But a study in the July 13 issue of The Lancet suggests that this standard practice may be linked to higher rates of maternal depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as disorganized attachment behaviors in their next-born infants.
“Our results suggest there is no justification for telling parents that not seeing their dead baby could make mourning more difficult, and that those who are reluctant to see and hold their child should not be encouraged to do so,” lead author Patricia Hughes, from St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London, U.K., says in a news release.
Her team evaluated 65 women pregnant for the second time after a previous stillbirth and compared them with 60 controls who were pregnant but who had not had a previous stillbirth. Of the 65 women who had a stillbirth, 17 (26%) did not see the dead baby, 14 (22%) saw but did not hold it, and 34 (52%) held it.
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