ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2021
The impact of cultural beliefs and practices on parents' experiences of bereavement following stillbirth: a qualitative study in Uganda and Kenya.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the experiences of neonatal parents for neonatal palliative care: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research.BMC palliative care · 2025Pooled it
- Suicidal incidence and gender-based discrepancies in prolonged grief disorder: insights from a meta-analysis and systematic review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Acceptability of alcohol-based hand rub during neonatal care in rural Ugandan households: a qualitative study nested within the BabyGel trial.Global health action · 2026Trial
- Birth weight and gestational age distributions in a rural Kenyan population.BMC pediatrics · 2023Trial
- Healthcare worker's views and experiences of factors impacting confidence to provide perinatal bereavement support: a qualitative study in Malawi and Zimbabwe.Global health action · 2026Article
- Grief Care Experiences of Midwives and Obstetric Nurses Following Stillbirth: A Phenomenological Study.Nursing open · 2026Article
- Translation and evaluation of the Perinatal Grief Intensity Scale in Kenya and Uganda.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Experiences, support networks, and resilience among women after stillbirth in Ghana: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- A network analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression in women with pregnancy loss.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Exploring the lived experiences and coping strategies of couples after stillbirth in Ho Municipality, Ghana: a phenomenological approach.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- "You First Break the News to the Relative": Stillbirth Bereavement Care Practices in Nigeria.Journal of transcultural nursing : official journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society · 2026Article
- A socio-ecological analysis of parents' experiences of stillbirth in Limpopo, South Africa.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2025Article
- Facilitators and barriers to implementing and sustaining facility-based stillbirth reviews in India: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- 'The grave must not be seen by anyone!': Beliefs and practices about stillbirths in Eastern Uganda.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- Coping and experience post an adverse birth outcome for fathers: a population-based perspective from India.BMC public health · 2025Article
- "I have to be strong": A qualitative study of parental bereavement experiences in Uganda following the death of their baby.Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives · 2025Article
- Perceived causes and contributory conditions for perinatal death: perspectives of midwives, parents, and communities in Northwest Ethiopia-a qualitative study.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Parental experiences of stillbirth rituals in Limpopo, South Africa.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2025Article
- Journey Mapping of Chinese Women Undergoing Termination Due to Fetal Abnormalities: A Thematic Content Analysis Based on Social Media Diaries.International journal of women's health · 2025Article
- Coping with stillbirth: Insights from parents in rural Limpopo, South Africa.Journal of public health in Africa · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStillbirth is an extremely traumatic and distressing experience for parents, with profound and long-lasting negative impacts. Cultural beliefs and practices surrounding death vary considerably across different contexts and groups, and are a key influence on individual experiences, impacting grief, adjustment, and support needs. Few studies have explored cultural influences surrounding stillbirth in an African context. This study explored the influence of cultural beliefs and practices on the experiences of bereaved parents and health workers after stillbirth in urban and rural settings in Kenya and Uganda.
methodsA qualitative descriptive study design was employed. Face to face interviews were conducted with parents (N = 134) who experienced a stillbirth (≤ 1 year) and health workers (N = 61) at five facilities in Uganda and Kenya. Interviews were conducted in English or the participants' local language, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was conducted using descriptive thematic analysis.
resultsCommonalities in cultural beliefs and practices existed across the two countries. Three main themes were identified: 1) Gathering round, describes the collective support parents received from family and friends after stillbirth. 2)'It is against our custom' addresses cultural constraints and prohibitions impacting parents' behaviour and coping in the immediate aftermath of the baby's death. 3) 'Maybe it's God's plan or witchcraft' summarises spiritual, supernatural, and social beliefs surrounding the causes of stillbirth.
conclusionsKinship and social support helped parents to cope with the loss and grief. However, other practices and beliefs surrounding stillbirth were sometimes a source of stress, fear, stigma and anxiety especially to the women. Conforming to cultural practices meant that parents were prevented from: holding and seeing their baby, openly discussing the death, memory-making and attending the burial. The conflict between addressing their own needs and complying with community norms hindered parents' grief and adjustment. There is an urgent need to develop culturally sensitive community programmes geared towards demystifying stillbirths and providing an avenue for parents to grieve in their own way.
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