In January 2020 researchers from Australia published their review of the medical scientific literature which was undertaken to gain an understanding of a father’s grief following a miscarriage or stillbirth, termination of pregnancy due to a foetal abnormality, and neonatal death up to 28 days after a live birth. It had been noted that most of the existing literature and subsequent bereavement care guidelines had focused on women and that little was known about the grief experienced by the expectant or new father. A total of 46 articles were included in the review. Results showed that men experienced grief in many different ways, and that the current grief measures may not capture all of the complexities of grief for men. It was seen that, in comparison to women, men may face different challenges including expectations to support female partners, and a lack of social recognition for their grief and subsequent needs. The researchers concluded that there is a need to increase the accessibility of support services for men following pregnancy/neonatal loss, and to provide recognition and validation of their experiences of grief.
Obst KL et al. Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: a systematic review and emerging theoretical model. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020 Jan 10;20(1):11