Causes and consequences of pregnancy loss and perinatal death
What is this project about?
Causes and consequences of pregnancy loss and perinatal death
There have been major advances in reproductive medicine, however there is still a considerable risk that a woman may experience pregnancy loss and/or perinatal death. It is acknowledged that pregnancy loss and perinatal death are traumatic events further emphasising the need for empathetic supportive care. However, there is still a dearth of research identifying not only the most appropriate bereavement care but also how best to support parents in subsequent pregnancies.
The overall aim of this project was to explore the causes of pregnancy loss and perinatal death and to further examine the psychological and social effects of pregnancy loss and perinatal death.
What was involved?
- Prospective cohort study to to examine the association of stress with the risk of miscarriage
- Retrospective cohort study to describe the postnatal morbidity associated with second-trimester miscarriage
- Series of qualitative studies exploring:
- Parent’s experience of miscarriage
- Women’s experience of ectopic pregnancy
- Parental decision making around perinatal autopsy
- Parents concerns of pregnancy after stillbirth
- Parent’s views on the impact of the death of one twin during the perinatal period
- Exploration of the reaction on Twitter to a cluster of perinatal deaths which occurred in a small maternity unit in Ireland.
Who was involved?
Project team
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Meaney | National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre, UCC; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | PhD Student |
| Professor Keelin O'Donoghue | Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Primary Supervisor |
| Dr Paul Corcoran | Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Co-supervisor |
Dissemination activities
Journal articles
- Meaney S, Gallagher S, Lutomski JE, O'Donoghue K. Parental decision making around perinatal autopsy: a qualitative investigation. Health Expectations. 2015;18:3160-3171. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12305.
- Meaney S, Lutomski JE, O' Connor L, O' Donoghue K, Greene RA. Women's experience of maternal morbidity: a qualitative analysis. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2016;16(1):184. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-0974-0.
- Meaney S, Cussen L, Greene R, O'Donoghue K. Reaction on Twitter to a cluster of perinatal deaths: A mixed method study. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 2016;2(2):e36. https://doi.org/10.2196/publichealth.5333.
- Morris A, Meaney S, Spillane N, O’Donoghue K. The postnatal morbidity associated with second-trimester miscarriage. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. 2016;29(17):2786-2790. https://doi.org/10.3109/14767058.2015.1103728.
- Meaney S, Corcoran P, O'Donoghue K. Death of one twin during the perinatal period: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2017;20(3):290-293. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2016.0264.
- Meaney S, Corcoran P, Spillane N, O'Donoghue K. Experience of miscarriage: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. BMJ Open. 2017;7:e011382. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011382.
- Meaney S, Everard CM, Gallagher S, O'Donoghue K. Parents’ concerns about future pregnancy after stillbirth: a qualitative study. Health Expectations. 2017;20:555-562. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12480.
- Spillane N, Meaney S, O' Donoghue K. Irish women’s experience of Ectopic pregnancy. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare. 2018;16:154-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2018.04.002.
Project status
Completed: 2013 to 2016
Further information
Please email Professor Keelin O'Donoghue: k.odonoghue@ucc.ie