Whose Fault Is It Anyway? Guilt, Blame, and Death Attribution by Mothers After Stillbirth or Infant Death

Abstract

Parents who experience stillbirth or infant death often struggle with postpartum guilt. This may be an adaptive response or can become chronic and maladaptive. We surveyed bereaved mothers in Michigan with perinatal death 15 months after loss to evaluate guilt, blame, and potential covariates. Self-report information was linked with data from State of Michigan vital records of births and deaths. Respondents included 311 mothers. Most reported guilt or self-blame at 15 months. In multinomial logistic analysis, depression and interpersonal violence predicted greater guilt. Nearly half of women blamed their medical team for the loss, and about a fifth reported feeling blamed by others. Both of these attributions were associated with greater guilt. The majority of mothers report persistent guilt after perinatal loss. Depression at either 9 or 15 months was a strong predictor of greater guilt.