The Nursing Group of the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL) has published in the journal Patient Education and Counseling a study that opens a necessary debate in the field of maternal health: Should gestational and neonatal death be discussed before it occurs? The research analyses the impact of an online prenatal education session on pregnancy and childbirth complications —including perinatal loss— and its effects on pregnant women’s worry, anxiety, and knowledge.
The study begins with an uncomfortable yet urgent question: why does the healthcare system continue to treat gestational and neonatal death as a taboo? According to the authors, this professional silence, although well‑intentioned, may leave women without the tools they need to face situations of high emotional burden.
A professional dilemma: informing without causing alarm
The study identifies a common conflict among professionals, many of whom avoid discussing complications for fear of increasing pregnant women’s anxiety. However, the data show that worry already exists, particularly regarding the possibility that something may go wrong with the baby.
The research reveals that silence does not eliminate fear; it simply leaves women alone with it. Moreover, many families who have experienced perinatal loss report that the lack of prior information made them doubt their intuition and deprived them of coping strategies.
The study evaluated a 30‑minute online session delivered by an expert midwife, focused on three complications: prematurity, neonatal adaptation difficulties, and perinatal death.
The results showed that after the session, worry decreased significantly, anxiety did not increase, knowledge about prevention and coping improved notably, and 94.9% of participants believed that this type of content should be included in childbirth preparation classes. Even among women whose worry or anxiety increased slightly, most considered the information important and appropriate.
Towards a new model of prenatal care
The IDIVAL Nursing Group stresses that this work does not propose a single model, but rather a deep reflection on how to better support pregnant women. The study and the authors’ experience point to five key lines:
1. Moving beyond a purely biological model by incorporating the emotional dimension and training professionals to address it.
2. Exploring and validating pregnant women’s fears during consultations, instead of avoiding them.
3. Providing sensitive, evidence‑based information that includes prevention and coping strategies.
4. Breaking the healthcare taboo surrounding gestational and neonatal death.
5. Examining whether professional silence stems from an overly paternalistic or infantilising model of care.
A step towards more humane and better‑prepared prenatal care
The study concludes that providing information about pregnancy complications —including perinatal death— does not increase anxiety and can improve pregnant women’s psychological preparedness. For the authors, discussing these topics with sensitivity and rigour is a way to empower, support, and protect.
The IDIVAL Nursing Group thus reaffirms its commitment to more humane, informed, and respectful prenatal care that recognises the real needs of women and their families.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738399126001801?dgcid=author
