Miscarriage and stillbirth: time since the loss, grief intensity and satisfaction with care.

In this paper we discuss the results of a study, conducted in the Netherlands, involving 143 women who experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth (response of 69%). The main questions were: how women with a fetal loss before the 20th week (miscarriage) versus women with a loss later in pregnancy (stillbirth) coped with the death of their baby; how the lapse of time since the loss related to grief intensity; and how satisfied women were with the professional care and support. The relationship between some other variables and grief intensity was also examined. It was found that grief intensity was greater and there was more satisfaction with professional care when gestational age was longer. With regard to the care, we concluded that some aspects needed improvement, especially the professional support for women who miscarry and the coordination of care for all women after discharge from hospital.