Page 217 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, Boštjan Žvanut, eds. 2017. Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije ▪︎ Health of the Working-Age Population. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 217
It is an interesting fact that Gravensteen et al. (2013) came to complete- women‘s quality of life during the grief process after perinatal death 215
ly opposite conclusions regarding holding or seeing the child after stillbirth or
miscarriage. Namely they found out that seeing the baby afterwards had a pos-
itive effect on the grieving process and therefore they encouraged health work-
ers to prepare the parents to see their child and spend the time with it to say
goodbye.
However, it is concerning that only 58% of the participants were treat-
ed with understanding and sympathy by health workers. From the answers of
our participants and other surveys (Baznik, 2005) we can conclude that parents
criticized and had a negative experience with health workers after the loss of
their child. According to other research, the grieving parents also said they did
not get enough information regarding the tests made after the death of their
child, the cause of death and the consequences the loss can have on the moth-
er and her chances of getting pregnant again. Gravensteen et al. (2013) further
on discovered that the majority of women were given support (85.6%) during
the labor and were respectfully treated (94.4%) with the stillborn baby by the
health workers.
It is of great importance that the help is offered to the parents‘ right after
the loss of their child because it can reduce the risk of a negative outcome. The
help can be offered by the doctors, nurses and other interdisciplinary mem-
bers of the team, including psychologists and social workers (Wing et al., 2001).
More sympathy and understanding was given by health workers in the
home environments of our participants, as was claimed by 68% of the par-
ticipants. When asked, what they would require from the health workers in
their home environments, women‘s answers varied. Majority claimed that they
would need more pieces of advice on how to move on and where to look for help
further on. This is the role of community nurse that has to document all the ob-
servations of a mother after stillbirth. In the case of a problematic outcome that
the home care nurse cannot resolve by her own, a selected doctor, gynecologist
or other suitable institution has to be informed (Kraševec, 2002).
Conclusion
In the health care process of the obstetric and gynecological care only emphat-
ic healthcare workers should be employed due to special sympathetic treatment
women should be given as they are under the influence of many hormones af-
ter giving birth. And when we also deal with perinatal death, the health work-
ers should, besides being compassionate, also have enough knowledge and
willingness to educate themselves further. Additional training is essential for
health workers because, firstly they also have to deal with the loss themselves.
And secondly, it is their help that is of extreme importance in such critical pe-
riod for the parents as it can effect and make a difference between a healthy
grieving process and an unhealthy one.
ly opposite conclusions regarding holding or seeing the child after stillbirth or
miscarriage. Namely they found out that seeing the baby afterwards had a pos-
itive effect on the grieving process and therefore they encouraged health work-
ers to prepare the parents to see their child and spend the time with it to say
goodbye.
However, it is concerning that only 58% of the participants were treat-
ed with understanding and sympathy by health workers. From the answers of
our participants and other surveys (Baznik, 2005) we can conclude that parents
criticized and had a negative experience with health workers after the loss of
their child. According to other research, the grieving parents also said they did
not get enough information regarding the tests made after the death of their
child, the cause of death and the consequences the loss can have on the moth-
er and her chances of getting pregnant again. Gravensteen et al. (2013) further
on discovered that the majority of women were given support (85.6%) during
the labor and were respectfully treated (94.4%) with the stillborn baby by the
health workers.
It is of great importance that the help is offered to the parents‘ right after
the loss of their child because it can reduce the risk of a negative outcome. The
help can be offered by the doctors, nurses and other interdisciplinary mem-
bers of the team, including psychologists and social workers (Wing et al., 2001).
More sympathy and understanding was given by health workers in the
home environments of our participants, as was claimed by 68% of the par-
ticipants. When asked, what they would require from the health workers in
their home environments, women‘s answers varied. Majority claimed that they
would need more pieces of advice on how to move on and where to look for help
further on. This is the role of community nurse that has to document all the ob-
servations of a mother after stillbirth. In the case of a problematic outcome that
the home care nurse cannot resolve by her own, a selected doctor, gynecologist
or other suitable institution has to be informed (Kraševec, 2002).
Conclusion
In the health care process of the obstetric and gynecological care only emphat-
ic healthcare workers should be employed due to special sympathetic treatment
women should be given as they are under the influence of many hormones af-
ter giving birth. And when we also deal with perinatal death, the health work-
ers should, besides being compassionate, also have enough knowledge and
willingness to educate themselves further. Additional training is essential for
health workers because, firstly they also have to deal with the loss themselves.
And secondly, it is their help that is of extreme importance in such critical pe-
riod for the parents as it can effect and make a difference between a healthy
grieving process and an unhealthy one.
