Ambiguous Familial Loss: Perinatal Experiences of Women Living With Their Children in Daily Life Who Received a Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Defects—A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

This study aimed to examine the perinatal experiences of women who received a fetal diagnosis of congenital heart defects (CHD) and chose to continue their pregnancies. To achieve this, we conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis. Using thematic synthesis following Thomas and Harden, we analyzed 14 qualitative studies published in Japanese or English within a 15-year period starting from 2010. The heart symbolizes the life of the fetus, an ambiguous family member. Following a fetal diagnosis of CHD, women mourned the loss of an imaginary baby or became aware of their child's death while feeling strong fetal movements. This situation of feeling a child's presence while being aware of their absence corresponds to the theory of ambiguous loss. The results showed that health care professionals recognize fetal CHD diagnosis as an external trigger for ambiguous loss in women, suggesting the importance of interventions targeting this unresolved grief.