Is partners’ mental health and well-being affected by holding the baby after stillbirth? Mothers’ accounts from a national survey
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effects on partners' health and well-being of holding a stillborn baby. BACKGROUND: Findings from quantitative and qualitative studies have produced inconsistent results concerning the effects of holding a stillborn baby on parents. METHODS: Secondary analyses were conducted on postal questionnaire data relating to 455 partners of women who had a stillbirth. Women answered questions about their partners' behaviour, perceptions of care, mental health and well-being at three and nine months after the stillbirth. Demographic, clinical and care characteristics were compared between partners who, according to the mothers, did and did not hold their baby. Sub-group analyses assessed hypothesised moderating effects. RESULTS: Mothers reported that most partners saw (92%) and held (82%) their stillborn baby. However, partners born outside the UK were less likely to have held their baby. Higher gestational age, shorter time interval between antepartum death and delivery, and mother's holding the baby all predicted a higher rate of partner's holding. There was a consistent negative effect of holding the baby across mental health and well-being outcomes, although after adjustment only higher odds of depression (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.35-5.50) and post-traumatic stress type symptoms (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.01-3.78) at 3 months were significantly associated with having held the baby following stillbirth. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to assess the impact of holding the baby on partners' mental health and well-being. The prevalence of depression and anxiety were high, and the negative effects of holding the baby were significant 3 months later.
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A 2018 study reported a consistent negative effect on depression and anxiety associated with partners who held their stillborn baby.
“A 2018 study also reported a consistent negative effect on depression and anxiety associated with partners who held their stillborn baby.27”
From Bereavement care guidelines used in health care facilities immediately following perinatal loss: a scoping review (2024) · cites this paper as [27]
The Abstract reports a consistent adverse pattern across mental-health outcomes, but says that after adjustment only depression and PTSD-type symptoms at three months were significantly associated with holding the baby. The Results and Discussion describe poorer outcomes as a trend; they do not establish a significant association for partners’ anxiety, and report no significant associations at nine months. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe majority (63%, n=37) reported that seeing and holding the baby was positive.
“The majority (63%, n=37) reported that seeing and holding the baby was positive.”
From Bereavement care guidelines used in health care facilities immediately following perinatal loss: a scoping review (2024) · cites this paper as [27]
The Discussion (Strengths and limitations; page unavailable) says parents value holding their stillborn baby and are generally satisfied with that decision. It does not report that 63% (n=37) described seeing and holding the baby as positive. In the Results (page unavailable), 37 instead counts partners who neither saw nor held their baby. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTen reports indicated that the limited support for fathers or partners was associated with emotional distress, PTSD, helplessness, anger, and feeling overlooked and alone.
“Additionally, 10 reports indicated that the limited support for fathers or partners was associated with emotional distress, PTSD, helplessness, anger, and feeling overlooked and alone.”
From Bereavement care guidelines used in health care facilities immediately following perinatal loss: a scoping review (2024) · cites this paper as [27]
The Introduction reports grief, anger and heightened distress among partners after stillbirth, and the Results report partner mental-health symptoms. But this paper is a single survey, not ten reports; its analysis concerns seeing or holding the baby, not an association between limited support and the listed outcomes. Helplessness and feeling overlooked or alone are not reported as outcomes in the cited passages. Page numbers were not supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA small number of studies (n=7) indicated that seeing the baby had positively influenced coping, while holding the baby did not.
“Additionally, there were a small number of studies (n=7) that indicated seeing the baby had positively influenced coping, while holding the baby did not.”
From Bereavement care guidelines used in health care facilities immediately following perinatal loss: a scoping review (2024) · cites this paper as [27]
The Results report the lowest rates of mental-health and well-being issues among partners who saw but did not hold the baby; the Discussion describes this as an apparent association with lower risk. The paper does not report seven studies establishing this finding, measure coping directly, or establish that seeing the baby positively influenced coping. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
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- Redshaw M., Rowe R., & Henderson J. (2014).. Oxford: NPEU.
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- Authors
- Hennegan, J. M., Henderson, J., & Redshaw, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Redshaw, Maggie
- Venue
- Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-01-19
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 120-131
- ISSN
- 0264-6838 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-672X
- PMC
- PMC5974507
- OpenAlex
- W2790495634
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 2.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care, UK Department of Health Policy Research Programme (-)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Keywords
- stillbirth, partner well-being, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, maternal mental health, bereavement, gestational age
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Depression, England, Fathers, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Mothers, Parents, Pregnancy, Surveys and Questionnaires, Qualitative Research, Stillbirth, Young Adult
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