Factors affecting psychological adjustment to a fetal death.

The loss of a child in utero can be a tragic experience. The purpose of the present study was to examine some patient characteristics that may predict which women are likely to have problems in adjusting to the loss and to examine the effectiveness of interventions by care providers in facilitating emotional recovery. Twenty-eight women who were no more than 4 weeks post partum from a fetal death were interviewed while waiting to see their physicians at the fetal demise clinic at Los Angeles County Women's Hospital. It was found that women were less depressed after the loss if they already had children, if they did not blame themselves for the death, and if they received a picture of the infant or were allowed to see the infant. Women benefited from sympathy from the medical personnel and being kept informed of problems as they developed.