Every year, 26,000 babies are stillborn in America. In 2003, one of them was my son.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Depression After Stillbirth Can Last Years

Doctors in England and the US recently completed a long-term study on depression in women after the loss of a baby, says an article from the BBC. The study shows that women who lost a baby experienced significant levels of anxiety and depression in subsequent pregnancies, which continued for about three years after the baby's death.

Said Prof. Jean Golding of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, "This study is important to the families of women who have lost a baby, since it is so often assumed that they get over the event quickly, yet as shown here, many do not.


This has implications for the medical profession as well as the woman and her family."

No. We don't get over the "event" quickly. As a matter of fact, we never get over it.

2 comments:

Catherine W said...

It is good that this has been recognised. I don't think that it is something that can ever 'get over.'

Monica H said...

"significant levels of anxiety and depression in subsequent pregnancies"

Ugh, yeah! But I still think that is lasts far longer than 3 years after a loss. You're right, it never ends.