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When a Baby Dies: A Systematic Review of Experimental Interventions for Women After Stillbirth

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Abstract

Objectives

To identify and evaluate intervention studies (ie, experimental study in which the participants undergo some kind of intervention in order to evaluate its impact) that target mental and/or physical health outcomes in women who have experienced stillbirth and to provide specific recommendations for future research and intervention work.

Methods

A librarian conducted an initial search using CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, PubMed, SocIndex, and Web of Knowledge in the spring of 2016. Reference mining provided further articles. Articles were eligible if they were: (1) published in English, (2) published in a peer-reviewed journal, (3) published in 1980 or later, (4) an intervention that evaluated (qualitative or quantitative methods) mental and/or physical health, and (5) included women who had experienced a stillbirth (in utero fetal death at ≥20 weeks of gestation).

Results

The combined searches produced 2733 articles (including duplicates). After duplicate articles were removed (n = 928), the research team screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts (when necessary) for eligibility (n = 1805). Two articles were identified that met our eligibility criteria.

Conclusion for Practice

There is a lack of intervention research in women with stillbirth. It is imperative to develop and implement interventions to improve both mental and physical health in this population, especially in the interconception period (ie, stillbirth aftercare). Future intervention research is needed to determine appropriate support and efficacious delivery of support interventions, feasibility and effectiveness of physical activity interventions and complementary approaches, appropriate timing and dose of interventions, and culturally sensitive interventions appropriate for racial/ethnic minority women with stillbirth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, 500 N 3rd St, ASU Mail Code 302, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA

    Jennifer L. Huberty PhD & Jeni Matthews MS

  2. Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado at Denver-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    Jenn Leiferman PhD

  3. ASU library, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Janice Hermer BA, MLIS

  4. School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Joanne Cacciatore PhD

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  1. Jennifer L. Huberty PhD
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  2. Jeni Matthews MS
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  3. Jenn Leiferman PhD
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  4. Janice Hermer BA, MLIS
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  5. Joanne Cacciatore PhD
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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Huberty PhD.

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Huberty, J.L., Matthews, J., Leiferman, J. et al. When a Baby Dies: A Systematic Review of Experimental Interventions for Women After Stillbirth. Reprod. Sci. 24, 967–975 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719116670518

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