Gender Differences among Parents Who Experience the Death of an Infant Weighing Less Than 500 Grams at Birth

Abstract

Gender differences among parents experiencing the death of a live-born infant weighing less than 500 grams at birth have not been examined. This article presents the gender differences that were observed in a phenomenological study that examined the experiences of parents surrounding the death of a live-born infant weighing less than 500 grams at birth. A total of eighteen interviews were conducted with five mothers and three of their husbands between four and fifteen weeks after the loss. First, at the time of the loss, fathers reported a loss of control and a concern for the mother, and mothers reported extreme sadness. Second, as parents made the adjustment at home, fathers continued to show concern for the mother and coped by keeping busy. In comparison to fathers, mothers reported intense responses, coped by talking about the loss, experienced more difficult situations with others, such as being around infants, and had more difficulty making sense of the loss.