Exploring the care experiences of parents bereaved through stillbirth
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Study Exploring parental priorities for memory making following Stillbirth
IRAS ID
213182
Contact name
Christopher van D'Arque
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Beckett University
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 1 months, days
Research summary
The research question
The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning and significance of artefacts (mementos or keepsakes) provided by the hospital in support of memory-making for parents who experience the stillbirth of their baby when cared for within the context of a purposefully developed bereavement care pathway.Background rationale
Memories are formed at the time of the events remembered, and the clinical setting forms the cultural context for parental experience of care at the time of bereavement and the birth of their baby.In terms of purposeful memory-making and the artefacts (mementos or keepsakes) of these activities, this intervention in many settings is typically framed by Memory Boxes donated by third-party charities, with additional practices such as hand and foot prints and photographs alongside.
The potential of these artefacts (mementos or keepsakes) to offer enduring meaning and significance for bereaved parents is largely untested. Additionally, this approach to memory-making is a retrospective activity which follows the birth of the baby, offering only a tenuous relationship with the maternal experience of birth and holding limited potential to empower personalised practices in support of parenting with forethought and planning as a memory-making experience of care.
Parents equally place a great deal of importance on their interactions with professional caregivers, emphasising the priority for sensitive, empathetic care attuned to the needs of each bereaved parent as an individual.
The goal of the study is therefore (1) to understand if the memory-making practices offered by the hospital are consistent with parental priorities for memory-making; (2) to understand the significance and meaning these artefacts (mementos or keepsakes) hold for parents from their personal perspective, and (3) to understand the role and significance of a bereaved parents interactions with professional caregivers in making memories.
Research context and method
This is a single-site study open to women who have experienced the stillbirth of their baby within a hospital with a purposefully developed bereavement care pathway.The method adopted to address this research question is narrative inquiry, with the goal of enabling the participants to tell their own story of their experience of care and its meaning for them as an individual within the hospital setting.
This approach naturally lends itself to in-depth interview in order to allow each participant the time necessary for them to understand, make sense of and own their personal experience.
The interview is framed by narrative methodology, creating the space for the participant to prioritise what elements of the experience are significant for them, from their own perspective. Therefore, every participant in this research will contribute data significant to the study.
Length of the study
The projected length of the study will be 7 months.REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
18/WA/0370
Date of REC Opinion
5 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion