To Lose an Unborn Child:PTSD, Depression and Relationship Quality following Pregnancy Loss

Background: The loss of an unborn baby/fetus is recognized as a very difficult life experience, which is often followed by negative psychological implications. This seems to be particularly true when the loss occurs at relatively late stages of pregnancy, as expectations of parenthood develop, and as the parent-child emotional bond becomes stronger

Methods: Between July 2014 - July 2015, preliminary data was collected at Hadassah Ein-Karem Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel. Participants were 99 women, ages 24-49 (M=35.07, SD=5.28). They were recruited from two sources: 1. Women who have contacted the support groups operated at the Hospital. 2. Women who were treated for pregnancy loss at the Hospital

Discussion: Late pregnancy loss entails a heavy burden of PTSD and MDD. When fetal loss occurs at late stages of pregnancy, mothers must cope with shattered expectations regarding motherhood. In terms of PTSD, late pregnancy loss usually involves stillbirth, often following the medical termination of pregnancy that may involve physical pain, difficult sights and more. We have also found that measures of dyadic relationship predict resilience and vulnerability in the face of pregnancy loss, thus can be defined as dyadic trauma. Thus, the quality of the spousal relationship following pregnancy loss is an important factor, contributing to the woman’s ability to cope and maintain psychological well-being.

Results: Overall, we have found a relatively heavy burden of both PTSD and MDD among women following late pregnancy loss. When applying a PCL-5 threshold score of 38, the rate of PTSD was 25%, 53% of the sample reported mild depressive symptoms or higher. In addition, 66.7% of those with severe MDD also endorsed a probable PTSD diagnosis, indicating high PTSD-MDD comorbidity.