One of the issues we see is the difficulty people outside of academia experience when trying to find scientific research and reliable information about miscarriage and pregnancy loss. Living through miscarriage can be a scary, emotion-filled experience. Having access to quality information may help ease the burden of the experience.
To that end, the IPL Collaborative is launching a series entitled “Top Take-Aways.” The goal of the series is to breakdown scientific research in the area of pregnancy loss into digestible pieces of information accessible to all people.
To start, we have chosen a study done by DeFrain, Millspaugh, and Xie (1996) that provides a great deal of insight into the psychosocial impacts of miscarriage on parents and families. Twenty-one fathers and 172 mothers from 32 states completed the authors’ 23-page questionnaire. Below are some of the important “take-aways” from the article. Ninety-four percent of parents reported grieving the loss of their baby.
Society does not always make space for this grieving process because it was “just a miscarriage” or “not a full-term baby” or “there’s always next time.” It is important that we, as a society, acknowledge miscarriage as loss and support those who suffer. Sixty-seven percent of parents blamed themselves for the miscarriage. This was often a result of doctors unable to identify a specific cause for the miscarriage. Those who experience pregnancy loss often look for answers and closure that may not exist. Seventy-two percent of parents reported that their examining doctors could not give a reason why the miscarriage occurred. Forty-nine percent of parents experienced flashbacks, also known as intrusive images and thoughts, while 51% of mothers and 40% of fathers felt like they had periods of “going crazy.” Approximately 11% of mothers reported suicidal thoughts. Nearly half of those surveyed had feelings of “craziness.” It is important to know that you are not the only one feeling irrational after a miscarriage. It is a normal and rational response to a traumatic life event. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, the most important thing you can do for you and your family is seek professional help. Your ob/gyn and primary care physician are both great resources for discussing what you are feeling. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1800-273-TALK (8255). Coping can be different for men and women. Seventy-four percent of parents felt that they had a different approach to coping compared with their spouse’s approach. The coping process is unique to every individual but there are general patterns reported by men and women. Typically, women want to process the loss with others and men want to process the loss by themselves. It is important to recognize that both are acceptable and valid means of coping. Overall, perceived personal happiness and family functioning dropped below average after a miscarriage. However, throughout the first year following the miscarriage, perception of personal happiness and family functioning continued to improve. By the second and third year following the miscarriage, personal happiness and family functioning were very close to the same levels they were before the miscarriage. There is hope. Gradually, over time, it will get better. Reference: DeFrain, J., Millspaugh, E., & Xiaolin, X. (1996). The psychosocial effects of miscarriage: Implications for health professionals. Family, Systems, and Health, 14, 331-347.
To that end, the IPL Collaborative is launching a series entitled “Top Take-Aways.” The goal of the series is to breakdown scientific research in the area of pregnancy loss into digestible pieces of information accessible to all people.
To start, we have chosen a study done by DeFrain, Millspaugh, and Xie (1996) that provides a great deal of insight into the psychosocial impacts of miscarriage on parents and families. Twenty-one fathers and 172 mothers from 32 states completed the authors’ 23-page questionnaire. Below are some of the important “take-aways” from the article. Ninety-four percent of parents reported grieving the loss of their baby.
Society does not always make space for this grieving process because it was “just a miscarriage” or “not a full-term baby” or “there’s always next time.” It is important that we, as a society, acknowledge miscarriage as loss and support those who suffer. Sixty-seven percent of parents blamed themselves for the miscarriage. This was often a result of doctors unable to identify a specific cause for the miscarriage. Those who experience pregnancy loss often look for answers and closure that may not exist. Seventy-two percent of parents reported that their examining doctors could not give a reason why the miscarriage occurred. Forty-nine percent of parents experienced flashbacks, also known as intrusive images and thoughts, while 51% of mothers and 40% of fathers felt like they had periods of “going crazy.” Approximately 11% of mothers reported suicidal thoughts. Nearly half of those surveyed had feelings of “craziness.” It is important to know that you are not the only one feeling irrational after a miscarriage. It is a normal and rational response to a traumatic life event. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, the most important thing you can do for you and your family is seek professional help. Your ob/gyn and primary care physician are both great resources for discussing what you are feeling. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1800-273-TALK (8255). Coping can be different for men and women. Seventy-four percent of parents felt that they had a different approach to coping compared with their spouse’s approach. The coping process is unique to every individual but there are general patterns reported by men and women. Typically, women want to process the loss with others and men want to process the loss by themselves. It is important to recognize that both are acceptable and valid means of coping. Overall, perceived personal happiness and family functioning dropped below average after a miscarriage. However, throughout the first year following the miscarriage, perception of personal happiness and family functioning continued to improve. By the second and third year following the miscarriage, personal happiness and family functioning were very close to the same levels they were before the miscarriage. There is hope. Gradually, over time, it will get better. Reference: DeFrain, J., Millspaugh, E., & Xiaolin, X. (1996). The psychosocial effects of miscarriage: Implications for health professionals. Family, Systems, and Health, 14, 331-347.
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