Compassionate perinatal loss care amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia:A qualitative study

Background: Compassionate care from healthcare professionals is vital for parents following perinatal loss. Changes to maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic affected perinatal loss care and called for new responses. This study reports Australian findings from an international collaboration (PUDDLES) of seven countries investigating parents’ experiences of care following perinatal loss during COVID-19. <br/><br/>Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 mothers and 3 fathers who experienced stillbirth, neonatal death, or termination of pregnancy for medical reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using template analysis.<br/><br/>Findings: An overarching theme ‘Compassionate care made up for a lot’ showed how healthcare professionals’ actions either mitigated or exacerbated parents’ distress beyond the inherent suffering associated with their baby's death.Three themes within this overarching theme were identified: (1) ‘Encountering a disrupted health system’ included parents’ experiences of health services and provider responses to COVID-19; (2) ‘Experiencing the loss- Immediate and defining moments’ captured how COVID-19 related changes affected crucial moments around the time of the loss and its immediate aftermath; and (3) ‘Entering a new level of isolation in the community’ described lack of aftercare and restricted support opportunities following hospital discharge. <br/><br/>Conclusions: Healthcare professionals’ actions matter deeply for families during a time of devastating loss, and perhaps even more so when this coincides with a health system crisis. Embedding conditions and structures for compassionate perinatal loss care is both possible and essential. <br/>