Citation

Brooten D, Youngblut JM, Hannan J, Caicedo C, Roche R, Malkawi F. J. Am. Assoc. Nurse Pract. 2015; 27(12): 690-697.

Affiliation

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/2327-6924.12243

PMID

25761229

Abstract

PURPOSE: Examine parents' concerns about subsequent pregnancies after experiencing an infant or child death (newborn to 18 years). DATA SOURCES: Thirty-nine semistructured parent (white, black, Hispanic) interviews 7 and 13 months post infant/child death conducted in English and/or Spanish, audio-recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed. Mothers' mean age was 31.8 years, fathers' was 39 years; 11 parents were white, 16 black, and 12 Hispanic.

CONCLUSIONS: Themes common at 7 and 13 months: wanting more children; fear, anxiety, scared; praying to God/God's will; thinking about/keeping the infant's/child's memory and at 7 months importance of becoming pregnant for family members; and at 13 months happy about a new baby. Parents who lost a child in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) commented more than those who lost a child in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Black and Hispanic parents commented more on praying to God and subsequent pregnancies being God's will than white parents. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Loss of an infant/child is a significant stressor on parents with documented negative physical and mental health outcomes. Assessing parents' subsequent pregnancy plans, recognizing the legitimacy of their fears about another pregnancy, discussing a plan should they encounter problems, and carefully monitoring the health of all parents who lost an infant/child is an essential practitioner role.

Language: en