Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Guilt, Blame, and Death Attribution by Mothers After Stillbirth or Infant Death

Gold, Katherine J.; Sen, Ananda; Leon, Irving

doi:10.1177/1054137317740800

Cited by 53Grief, Bereavement, and Mental HealthMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumMaternal and Neonatal Healthcare

Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Guilt, Blame, and Death Attribution by Mothers After Stillbirth or Infant Death

Gold, Katherine J., Sen, Ananda, Leon, Irving·2018·Illness, Crisis & Loss

DOI 10.1177/1054137317740800

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Abstract

Parents who experience stillbirth or infant death often struggle with postpartum guilt. This may be an adaptive response or can become chronic and maladaptive. We surveyed bereaved mothers in Michigan with perinatal death 15 months after loss to evaluate guilt, blame, and potential covariates. Self-report information was linked with data from State of Michigan vital records of births and deaths. Respondents included 311 mothers. Most reported guilt or self-blame at 15 months. In multinomial logistic analysis, depression and interpersonal violence predicted greater guilt. Nearly half of women blamed their medical team for the loss, and about a fifth reported feeling blamed by others. Both of these attributions were associated with greater guilt. The majority of mothers report persistent guilt after perinatal loss. Depression at either 9 or 15 months was a strong predictor of greater guilt.

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Experiences identified in this review, such as guilt and blame, a sense of isolation, and increased fractured relationships as a result of loss, have been previously identified in studies exploring mothers' experiences of perinatal death.
“There were a number of experiences identified in this review that have been previously identified in studies exploring mothers' experiences of perinatal death such as common emotions including guilt and blame, a sense of isolation, and increased fractured relationships as a result of loss (Gold et al., 2018;Kersting & Wagner, 2012;Turton et al., 2009).”
From Fathers’ experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death: A meta-ethnography (2026) · cites this paper as Gold et al., 2018

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Introduction
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What Is Advice?
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Responsibility
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Professional Advice
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What Advice Is
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Conclusion
Jonas, M. (2025) · doi:10.1093/9780191954931.003.0013
Power and Manipulation
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The Advice Relationship
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Personal Advice
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The Ethos of Parental Bereavement and Guilt.
Johnson-Soderberg, S. (1982) · Deep Blue (University of Michigan)

Authors: Gold, K. J., Sen, A., & Leon, I.
Affiliations: University of Michigan (US)
Corresponding author: Gold, Katherine J.
ORCID: Gold, Katherine J.
Sen, Ananda
Venue: Illness, Crisis & Loss
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2017-11-10
Volume: 26
Issue: 1
Pages: 40-57
ISSN: 1054-1373 (ISSN-L)
1552-6968
DOI: 10.1177/1054137317740800
OpenAlex: W2767734579
Cited by: 52
References: 42
Citations by year: 2026: 4 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5
FWCI: 3.05
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Illness Crisis & Loss (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
Keywords: stillbirth, infant death, perinatal loss, maternal guilt, self-blame, interpersonal violence, maternal depression, bereaved mothers

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Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Guilt, Blame, and Death Attribution by Mothers After Stillbirth or Infant Death

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