Monika Guzewicz

PhD candidate

Department of Adult Clinical Psychology/Institute of Psychology

The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

SOCIOLOGICAL

AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SITUATION OF STILLBIRTHS IN POPULATION OF POLAND

Lublin, Poland

E-mail: monika.guzewicz@gmail.com

ABSTRACT. Losing a child before its birth is a situation encountered in every society. Poland has collected detailed demographic data on stillborn death, which describe the number of stillborn babies born after twenty-second week of pregnancy. The country is still lacking the demographic data for the number of abortions (i.e. before twenty-two weeks of gestation). In contrast, medical and psychological data show the death of a fetus as different at every stage of prenatal age. Additionally, medicine uses a much wider description of this phenomenon than the one used in sociology. In this paper, demographic data on the situation of stillbirths in Poland will be presented in regard of various aspects – maternal age, gender of a fetus, duration of pregnancy. A psychological characteristics of the phenomenon and the most common risk factors for losing a child in the prenatal period will be given. In addition, major psychological, sociological and medical consequences that occur for women who have experienced the loss of a child before its birth will be taken into account.

Received: January, 2014

1st Revision: March, 2014

Accepted: April, 2014

DOI:10.14254/2071-789X.2014/7-1/15

JEL Classification: I12, I14, I19

Keywords: stillbirth, miscarriage, loss of procreation.