The DOI matches its Crossref record; 33 of the 34 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents: A qualitative study
Open accessAbstract
PURPOSE: To explore the lived experiences and personal impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents. METHODS: Semi-structured in-depth interviews analysed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) on a purposive sample of parents of twelve babies born following fetal death at a tertiary university maternity hospital in Ireland with a birth rate of c8,500 per annum and a stillbirth rate of 4.6/1000. RESULTS: Stillbirth had a profound and enduring impact on bereaved parents. Four superordinate themes relating to the human impact of stillbirth emerged from the data: maintaining hope, importance of the personhood of the baby, protective care and relationships (personal and professional). Bereaved parents recalled in vivid detail their experiences of care following diagnosis of stillbirth and their subsequent care. The time between diagnosis of a life-limiting anomaly or stillbirth and delivery is highlighted as important for parents as they find meaning in their loss. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents is immense and how parents are cared for is recalled in precise detail as they revisit their experience. Building on existing literature, these data bring to light the depth of personal experience and impact of stillbirth for parents and provides medical professionals with valuable insights to inform their care of bereaved parents and the importance of clear and sensitive communication.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Clearly, the parents in this survey, as with parents in other studies [e.g., (10, 15, 19, 26, 27)], placed an emphasis on making memories as part of the hospital experience and have expressed regret at not making memories or wished they would have made more memories (28, 29).”
From Parent hospital experiences following stillbirth (2026) · cites this paper as [28]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“While this is a difficult conversation to have, some parents want communication about their baby’s appearance after birth (19, 28).”
From Parent hospital experiences following stillbirth (2026) · cites this paper as [28]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Parents interviewed in Nuzum et al. (25), also briefly mentioned being worried about what their baby may look like.”
From Parent-to-parent advice before the birth of a stillborn baby (2025) · cites this paper as [25]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Since most parents in this study did not have the support of someone who has experienced a stillbirth and parents have indicated that healthcare professionals left a lasting impression on them during a stillbirth experience in either positive or negative ways (28), working with a trained healthcare professional who can provide bereavement guidance becomes more important.”
From Parent hospital experiences following stillbirth (2026) · cites this paper as [28]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Stillbirths: rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030
Lawn, J. E., Blencowe, H., Waiswa, P., Amouzou, A., Mathers, C., Hogan, D., Flenady, V., Frøen, J. F., Qureshi, Z. U., Calderwood, C., et al. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00837-5 · Cited by 1,778
Biggerstaff, D. L., & Thompson, A. (2008) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1080/14780880802314304 · Cited by 867
Stillbirths: economic and psychosocial consequences
Heazell, A. E. P., Siassakos, D., Blencowe, H., Burden, C., Bhutta, Z. A., Cacciatore, J., Dang, N., Das, J., Flenady, V., Gold, K. J., et al. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00836-3 · Cited by 807 · cited 3×
“[ 1–4] The diagnosis that a baby will not survive or has already died in utero brings with it a bewildering array of emotional distress where birth and death collide and parents move from a trajectory of expectation to one of grief.”
Self-citationStillbirths: recall to action in high-income countries
Flenady, V., Wojcieszek, A. M., Middleton, P., Ellwood, D., Erwich, J. J., Coory, M., Khong, T. Y., Silver, R. M., Smith, G. C. S., Boyle, F. M., et al. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)01020-x · Cited by 667
Burden, C., Bradley, S., Storey, C., Ellis, A., Heazell, A. E. P., Downe, S., Cacciatore, J., & Siassakos, D. (2016) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-016-0800-8 · Cited by 445
Ellis, A., Chebsey, C., Storey, C., Bradley, S., Jackson, S., Flenady, V., Heazell, A., & Siassakos, D. (2016) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-016-0806-2 · Cited by 322 · cited 2×
“[20, 21, 26, 27] In an Irish context where termination of pregnancy is not a permissible option this study sheds important light on the importance of a perinatal palliative care approach for babies and their parents following a diagnosis of a life-limiting condition in-utero .”
Stillbirths: progress and unfinished business
Frøen, J. F., Friberg, I. K., Lawn, J. E., Bhutta, Z. A., Pattinson, R., Allanson, E., Flenady, V., McClure, E. M., Franco, L. M., Goldenberg, R. L., et al. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00818-1 · Cited by 256
Psychological aspects of perinatal loss
Badenhorst, W., & Hughes, P. (2007) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2006.11.004 · Cited by 236
Support for mothers, fathers and families after perinatal death
Koopmans, L., Wilson, T., Cacciatore, J., & Flenady, V. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd000452.pub3 · Cited by 216
Mills, T., Ricklesford, C., Cooke, A., Heazell, A., Whitworth, M., & Lavender, T. (2014) · BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1111/1471-0528.12656 · Cited by 155
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 34 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- O O’Connell, 2015, Caring for parents at the time of stillbirth: How can we do better?", Women & health
- O O’Connell, 2014, Incompatible with Life but Not with Love: The Value of Prenatal Palliative Care in Cases of Lethal Abnormalities Diagnosed in the Prenatal Period, Journal of palliative care, 30, 219
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–128 of 128
Advice on sleep position and foetal movement links to stillbirth
(2018) · Primary Health Care · doi:10.7748/phc.28.3.14.s13
Reed, K., Ellis, J., & WHITBY, E. H. (2023) · Manchester University Press eBooks · doi:10.7765/9781526163196.00013
Kendrick, J. I. S., Baisch, K., & Harris, L. M. (2025) · Illness, Crisis & Loss · doi:10.1177/10541373251318242
The Dyad Experience of Nurse Caring Following Fetal Death
McDonough, M. R., Leone-Sheehan, D. M., & Seney, V. (2024) · International Journal for Human Caring · doi:10.20467/ijhc-2023-0031
Callander, E. J., Hu, Y., Bull, C. F., Flenady, V., Ellwood, D. A., Lancaster, A., Boyle, F. M., & Loughnan, S. A. (2025) · Women and Birth · doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2025.101933
Cyclical grief in Israeli women after IVF and medical termination
Gershfeld-Litvin, A., Gavish, S., & Hanalis‐Miller, T. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-29926-y
O’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589297
Self-citationHeaney, S., Galeotti, M., & Aventin, Á. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26605609
O’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589282
Self-citationO’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589288
Self-citationO’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589285
Self-citationO’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589279
Self-citationKwesiga, D. K., Wanduru, P., Eriksson, L., Målqvist, M., Waiswa, P., & Blencowe, H. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23993272
O’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589300
Self-citationO’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589294
Self-citationO’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589276
Self-citationO’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589273
Self-citationSsegujja, E., Ddumba, I., & Andipatin, M. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23983356
O’Connor, C. D., O’Connor, E., Leitão, S., Barrett, S., & O’Donoghue, K. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26589291
Self-citationKwesiga, D. K., Wanduru, P., Eriksson, L., Målqvist, M., Waiswa, P., & Blencowe, H. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.23993269
Twinamatsiko, O., Nguyen, V., Komugisha, C., Namala, A., Ngonzi, J. N. J., Kenya‐Mugisha, N., Pillay, Y., Christoffersen‐Deb, A., & Wiens, M. O. (2026) · medRxiv · doi:10.64898/2026.01.23.26344736
Dartey, A. F., Sagbo, F. M., Nyakpo, R. A., Issifu, A., & Dede, D. (2026) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-026-08938-0
Aggarwal, N., Sharma, B., Sharma, A., Raina, A., Mohanty, P., Suri, V., & Jain, V. (2026) · Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health · doi:10.1016/j.cegh.2026.102347
Höglund, B., & Hildingsson, I. (2026) · European Journal of Midwifery · doi:10.18332/ejm/219001
Abdriakhimova, T. B., & Kleban, К. (2026) · Psychosomatic Medicine and General Practice · doi:10.26766/pmgp.v11i1.709
Lawrence, R. C., Hartley, J., Crellin, N. E., Hemmings, N., Walton, H., Dodsworth, E., Fisher, S., Fulop, N., Gandhi, S. V., Herbert, K., et al. (2026) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.70750
Xie, J., Grealish, A., Biesty, L., & Hunter, A. (2026) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.70740
Savarese, G., Milite, M., Sorrentino, A. M., Oro, R. R., Batelli, M., Masellis, G., Messina, M. P., Ceccanti, M., Remondelli, V., Fiore, M., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1998621
Metadata
- Authors
- Nuzum, D., Meaney, S., & O’Donoghue, K.
- Affiliations
- University College Cork (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Nuzum, Daniel
- Venue
- PLoS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2018-01-24
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e0191635
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5783401
- OpenAlex
- W2785158232
- Cited by
- 127
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 13.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Cork Open Research Archive (University College Cork, Ireland) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Lenus, The Irish Health Repository (Dr Steevens Hospital Library) (submittedVersion)
- 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 › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Keywords
- stillbirth, bereaved parents, lived experience, parental grief, fetal death, hope, protective care, professional relationships, sensitive communication, perinatal loss
- MeSH terms
- Bereavement, Humans, Parents, Qualitative Research, Stillbirth
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
