OBJECTIVE: To identify the relative risk (RR) of mortality in bereaved parents compared with non-bereaved counterparts. DESIGN: Retrospective data linkage study. SETTING: United Kingdom, 1971-2006. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample from death registrations (5%) of parents who had a live birth where the infant lived beyond its first year of life (non-bereaved parents) and parents who had experienced a stillbirth or the death of a child in its first year of life (bereaved parents) between 1971 and 2006. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Death or widowhood of the parent. RESULTS: Bereaved parents in Scotland (n=738) were more than twice as likely to die in the first 15 years after their child's death than non-bereaved parents (n=50 132), p<0.005. Bereaved mothers in England and Wales (n=481) were more than four times as likely to die in the first 15 years after their child's birth than non-bereaved parents (n=30 956), p<0.001. The mortality risk for bereaved mothers compared with non-bereaved mothers, followed up for 25 years after death, was 1.5 (bereaved n=745, non-bereaved n=36 434), p<0.005. When followed up for 35 years, the risk of mortality for bereaved mothers (n=1120) was 1.2 times that of non-bereaved mothers (n=36 062), p<0.005. CONCLUSIONS: Bereaved parents who experience stillbirth or infant death have markedly increased mortality compared with non-bereaved parents, up to 25 years (mean) after the death of their child. However, the RR reduces over time.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the relative risk (RR) of mortality in bereaved parents compared with non-bereaved counterparts. DESIGN: Retrospective data linkage study. SETTING: United Kingdom, 1971-2006. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample from death registrations (5%) of parents who had a live birth where the infant lived beyond its first year of life (non-bereaved parents) and parents who had experienced a stillbirth or the death of a child in its first year of life (bereaved parents) between 1971 and 2006. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Death or widowhood of the parent. RESULTS: Bereaved parents in Scotland (n=738) were more than twice as likely to die in the first 15 years after their child's death than non-bereaved parents (n=50 132), p<0.005. Bereaved mothers in England and Wales (n=481) were more than four times as likely to die in the first 15 years after their child's birth than non-bereaved parents (n=30 956), p<0.001. The mortality risk for bereaved mothers compared with non-bereaved mothers, followed up for 25 years after death, was 1.5 (bereaved n=745, non-bereaved n=36 434), p<0.005. When followed up for 35 years, the risk of mortality for bereaved mothers (n=1120) was 1.2 times that of non-bereaved mothers (n=36 062), p<0.005. CONCLUSIONS: Bereaved parents who experience stillbirth or infant death have markedly increased mortality compared with non-bereaved parents, up to 25 years (mean) after the death of their child. However, the RR reduces over time.
Authors: Matthew N Zipple; Jeanne Altmann; Fernando A Campos; Marina Cords; Linda M Fedigan; Richard R Lawler; Elizabeth V Lonsdorf; Susan Perry; Anne E Pusey; Tara S Stoinski; Karen B Strier; Susan C Alberts Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2021-01-05 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Zeshan U Qureshi; Joseph Millum; Hannah Blencowe; Maureen Kelley; Edward Fottrell; Joy E Lawn; Anthony Costello; Tim Colbourn Journal: BMJ Date: 2015-09-23