@article{CRSIJ26000302,
                  author = {Nwozaku Francis Nworu },
                  title = {Strengthening Bereavement Support Following Miscarriage and Stillbirth in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria },
                  journal = {Cosmo Research and Science International Journal},
                  year = {2025},
                  volume = {2},
                  number = {1},
                  pages = {475-491},
                  issn = {3108-1584},
                  url = {https://cosmorsij.com/published/CRSIJ26000302.pdf},
                  abstract = {In Nigeria, two major reproductive health problems are miscarriage and stillbirth which are common but not given adequate attention. Grief in relation to miscarriage and stillbirth is dealt with inconsistently, inadequately and is frequently approached with practices that miss the lived experience of the culturally constructed nature of pregnancy loss. The present article is concentrated on the access to bereavement services for mothers who miscarried and/or had a foetal demise in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State. The objective of this paper is to create an interdisciplinary bereavement model of care for a PPH setup in a limited resource setting with emphasis on the sociocultural nuances of the South-Eastern region of Nigeria. This is through a situational analysis of the management of miscarriage and stillbirth in Abakaliki tertiary hospital and literature review of evidence-based bereavement care interventions and Igbo cultural competencies on bereavement and loss. The study identifies that the current treatment of miscarriage and stillbirth in the study context is mostly clinical with a ‘business-as-usual-and-leave-quickly' attitude towards women's grief. The draft bereavement model of care created, encompassing the continuum of care that is shaped by a stepped approach to postpartum grief, incorporating existing institutional care structures for obstetrics and mental health services, and using psychological counselling, social work and faith-based care as part of the continuum of bereavement intervention. The recommendation to implement a bereavement care coordinator in tertiary, secondary and primary hospitals in Ebonyi State was found to be an effective method for institutionalizing the bereavement care model and provide improved access to the multi-professional grief support, given the limited human resources in public hospitals in Ebonyi State. Implications of the draft model for policy and professional education and research are also considered in this manuscript.},
                  keywords = {Miscarriage, stillbirth, perinatal bereavement, interdisciplinary care, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria, disenfranchised grief, maternal mental health},
                  month = {July}
        }