The Experiences of Mothers with Intrauterine Fetal Death/Demise (IUFD) in Indonesia

*Alma Dormian Sinaga  -  Sint Carolus School of Health Sciences Jakarta, Indonesia
Justina Purwarini orcid  -  Sint Carolus School of Health Sciences Jakarta, Indonesia
Lina Dewi Anggraeni  -  Sint Carolus School of Health Sciences Jakarta, Indonesia
Received: 6 Apr 2019; Revised: 22 Apr 2020; Accepted: 27 Apr 2020; Published: 27 Apr 2020; Available online: 28 Apr 2020.
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Section: Articles
Language: EN
In Vol 10, No 1 (2020): (April 2020)
Statistics: 398 170
Abstract

Background: Intrauterine Fetal Death/Demise (IUFD) is a traumatic event for mothers. Mothers with IUFD have the risk of experiencing depression, anxiety, sadness, and sorrow in their lives. Research focusing on how mothers deal with such a traumatic experience is therefore necessary.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers with Intrauterine Fetal Death/Demise (IUFD) in Indonesia.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was carried out to seven informants who were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi's method.

Result: The results showed four major themes, including the mothers’ response to a loss such as painful and traumatic experience; moral support received by mother; negative behavior from others such as stigma and lack of support; and physical and psychological changes that interfere with the role as wife and mother.

Conclusion: The history of IUFD is a very traumatic experience and has a quite high emotional burden for mothers. Hence, it is necessary to integrate support and therapeutic communication into practice.
Keywords: Intrauterine fetal death; mothers’ experiences; social support

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