Bereavement support for women and their families after stillbirth.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To heighten awareness of the grieving process of the mother and her family experiencing the death of a baby; (2) to offer suggestions to health-care providers of the type of support that will achieve optimal grief resolution. OPTIONS: Early, late, or no interventions for women and families who experienced stillbirths. OUTCOME: Success of health-care providers in preventing, recognizing, and treating psychological problems in the bereaved parents and families, and also in helping these families to build meaningful experiences and positive memories from their loss. EVIDENCE: English-language articles and their references on grief and bereavement after perinatal death, through a search of MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and publications of other national bodies including the Canadian Paediatric Society, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.