SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1580039
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Bereavement and Public Health: The Role of Family and Friend Caregivers in Community Well-BeingView all 4 articles
Experiences and needs of family members of perinatal infant deaths: A meta-synthesis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Neonatal Ward, Jining First People's Hospital, Jining, China
- 2Nursing Department, Jining First People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong, China
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Purpose: This meta-review of qualitative studies aims to explore the experiences and needs of family members following perinatal infant deaths.Design: A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted.Data Sources: Four databases, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science, were searched from inception through November 2024. An initial search using the keywords " perinatal death " , " family members " , and " qualitative research " retrieved 496 articles. Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten studies were selected for inclusion.The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Qualitative Research Checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies.Results: Ten studies from nine countries were analyzed, yielding five overarching themes: negative emotional reactions, searching for the cause of death, rebuilding of life, reconstruction of meaning, and need for support.Negative emotional responses are an inevitable and profound part of the bereavement process for families experiencing perinatal loss. Identifying the cause of death helps families understand their loss and reduces uncertainty and self-blame. Central to the grieving process is the reconstruction of emotional and psychological meaning, which involves redefining life's purpose and gradually restoring a sense of normalcy. However, many of these families' needs remain unmet. There is an urgent need for multidisciplinary strategies to provide comprehensive, tailored support.
Keywords: Experiences and needs, Family members, Perinatal infant, deaths, meta-synthesis
Received: 20 Feb 2025; Accepted: 19 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 CUI, WU, WANG and SHENG. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: XIAOYUN WANG, Neonatal Ward, Jining First People's Hospital, Jining, China
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