Interventions to address the needs and requirements of families after intrauterine or perinatal child loss - a scoping review

Aim To provide an overview of existing research on interventions addressing the needs and requirements of families after intrauterine or perinatal loss of a child. Design A scoping review Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search in Medline, Cochrane, and CINAHL without restrictions on the publication period. We only included original empirical studies that investigated interventions for families following intrauterine or perinatal child loss. After the title, abstract, and full-text screening, data was extracted and synthesized using an inductive approach. Results Of the 3,502 studies obtained, a total of 25 were included in the scoping review. The selected studies were divided into six clusters: "interaction with the baby" (n = 6), "comprehensive care" (n = 3), "psycho-social support services" (n = 11), "digital support services" (n = 7), "psycho-social support services for siblings" (n = 2), and "supportive interventions in subsequent pregnancies" (n = 1). Conclusion This scoping review identified key components of needs-based interventions when experiencing intrauterine or perinatal loss. The identified studies cover a wide range, from the period after birth to two years after the loss, and are primarily designed for parents. To enable needs-based care for parents and siblings, implementing care pathways to standardize continuous, safe care is recommended. Further interventions (e.g., lactation management) need to be developed, implemented, and evaluated in further research.