Perdre un jumeau in utero : quel parcours émotionnel pour la mère ? Étude des remaniements psychiques et de la prise en charge soignante de l’annonce de la mort foetale au post-partum
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Introduction : Unique intra uterine death during a twin pregnancy is a profound trauma and psychological upheaval that occurs in between 0.5% and 6.8% of twin pregnancies. While studies on perinatal bereavement are beginning to be developed, none have looked specifically at the maternal experience of this unique loss. That's the reason why we wanted to study the psycho-emotional issues involved, from the mother’s point of view, while assessing the care practices associated with these particular pregnancies. Methods : We conducted a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews, using an interview framework to ensure a degree of comparability. Ten interviews were conducted, transcribed, anonymised and analysed. The aim of the study was to gather the accounts of women who had experienced a unique intra uterine death during a twin pregnancy, by exploring their experiences from the announcement of the death to the birth of the children, in order to understand the issues involved. Results : Mothers who have experienced the loss of a twin in utero describe profound psychological upheaval, marked by the shock of the announcement and the mourning of twinhood. More than eight of the ten mothers interviewed described a pregnancy tinged with guilt, denial and anxiety, right up to the ambivalent birth. This unique pregnancy had an impact on the mother's psyche, with eight mothers experiencing difficulties in investing in and projecting their future children. While medical care was deemed satisfactory by nine of the women surveyed, psychological support and referral to professionals who are suited to perinatal bereavement were perceived as inadequate by half of them. Finally, the trivialisation of twin pregnancies and the failure of some carers to recognise the deceased twin, particularly through inappropriate words or attitudes, intensified the pain of nine of the women, underlining the importance of an empathetic and appropriate approach. Conclusion : The unique intra uterine death during a twin pregnancy has a profound psycho-emotional impact on the mother, accompanied by intense psychological changes marked by guilt and uncertainty. It is vital to train professionals in the psychological issues surrounding these special pregnancies, so that they can better support the mothers' experiences and preserve the mother-child bond, which is greatly weakened by this special pregnancy marked by perinatal mourning
Source: HAL
Author: Pouzineau, Léane
Institution: Université de Poitiers
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6995672080