Parents' experience surrounding the death of a newborn whose birth is at the margin of viability.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the experience of parents surrounding the death of a newborn weighing less than 500 g at birth.


METHODS
Descriptive, using an eidetic phenomenologic approach.


METHODS
Interviews were conducted in the parents' homes or by telephone between 4 and 15 weeks after the loss.


METHODS
Eight parents (five mothers and three of their husbands) who had experienced the death of a newborn weighing less than 500 g at birth.


METHODS
The lived parental experience of the death of a newborn consists of a number of parental processes, responses, and activities that occur over time.


RESULTS
Five themes were generated from the data: (a) realization that the loss is occurring; (b) initial response to the loss; (c) decision making at the time of the loss; (d) components of supportive relationships with others; and (e) the adjustment at home.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings demonstrate the unique experience of having a newborn who is born at the margin of viability and support the need for individualized, caring-based interventions for parents.
Kavanaugh
K
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Department of Maternal-Child Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612-7350, USA.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003643:Death; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires