STILLBIRTH AND MATERNAL WELL-BEING

Background. Stillbirth imposes severe strains on the mother. Little is known about the longterm well-being after such an experience. Methods . The study population comprises 380 women who experienced stillbirth and 379 control women with a livebirth in 1991. Data were collected by a postal questionnaire in 1994 in a nationwide study in Sweden. The r esponse rate was 84%. Results. The index women stated more often than controls that they had an improved relationship with the baby's father at the time of follow-up than before the child's birth, the ratio of proportions (with 95% confidence interval) of women with an improved r elationship being 1.8 (1.4-2.2). The corresponding figure for high sat isfaction with home and family situation at the time of the survey was 1.3 (1.1-1.6) and 3.7 (1.6-8.3) for low satisfaction with the appreci ation they encountered outside the home. The cumulative incidence of s eparation/ divorce after a stillbirth was the same as after a livebirt h, 8%. Marital status strongly modified the results; for single women the ratio of proportions (stillbirth compared to livebirth) for an imp roved relationship with the baby's father was 0.2 (0.0-1.4) and for hi gh satisfaction with home and family situation 0.1 (0.0-0.9). Conclusi ons. Stillbirth increases satisfaction with the relationship with the baby's father and the home and family situation, but it decreases mate rnal satisfaction of appreciation by others outside of the home. This traumatic experience does not affect the risk of separation/divorce, b ut single women are at risk of social complications after stillbirth, and psychosocial support may be appropriate for this subgroup.