Tão-só na maternidade: o luto na perda perinatal

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to comprehend the experience of parental grief related to perinatal loss. Objective: To analyze the peculiarities of the maternal role in perinatology in the face of the grief experience, understand the psychological experience of grief, and reflect on psychological intervention strategies that can aid in the grieving process following this type of loss. Methods: A narrative, qualitative, and exploratory literature review was conducted for the discussion of the proposed topic. Results:The results highlight that the death of a child during this period is particularly harmful to the mother, causing genuine psychological devastation, although paternal suffering should also be acknowledged. It was also evident how the support systems for these grieving families and healthcare teams are often ill-prepared to handle and provide a healthy space for these parents to grieve in a wholesome manner. Conclusion: The phenomenon of grief has profound and detrimental psychological repercussions in the lives of grieving families, and psychological intervention strategies are essential for the well-being of these parents. These strategies include validating the suffering, offering the possibility of contact with the baby after their passing, ritualizing the loss, and potentially creating a memory box to materialize the existence of the child.