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The Death of a Newborn Twin: How Can Support for Parents Be Improved?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Elizabeth M. Bryan
Elizabeth M. Bryan*
Affiliation:
Twins and Multiple Births Association, U.K.
*
Consultant, Twins and Multiple Births Association, 54 Broad Lane, Hampton, Middlesex, U.K.

Abstract

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The experiences and needs of mothers who lose a newborn twin were explored by sending semistructured questionnaires to 14 bereaved mothers. All mothers continued to think of the surviving child as a twin. Six had feelings of resentment towards the survivor. All felt their loss had been underestimated. Support could be improved by acknowledging the mother's grief and encouraging her to talk about the dead baby. Zygosity should be determined and reminders, such as photographs (of the babies together) and ultrasound scans, provided. All parents should be offered counselling and the opportunity to meet similarly bereaved parents.

Keywords

Perinatal deathSurviving twinBereavement counsellingSelf-help groups
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 35 , Issue 1-2 , April 1986 , pp. 115 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1986

References

REFERENCES

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2. Lewis, E (1983): Stillbirth: Psychological consequences and strategies of management. In Mulinsky, A, Friedman, EA and Guick, I (eds): Advances in Perinatal Medicine 3. New York: Plenum.Google Scholar
3. Twins and Multiple Births Association, U.K. (1985): The Loss of Your Twin Baby.Google Scholar