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Volume-13 Number-1, 2026 / Review Article

Faith as Structure: Meaning-Making and Bereavement After Stillbirth in India — A Narrative Review

Author:
Ayesha Ahmad
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow, UP, India - 226013
Uma Gupta
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, Era University, Lucknow, UP, India - 226003
Himanshu Arora2, Vanya Shiel
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow, UP, India - 226013
Mustafa Nabi Shah
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow, UP, India - 226013
Abstract:
Background: Despite the high burden of stillbirths in India, bereavement care remains in its infantile stages. Neither does our healthcare system have a structured organisation for bereavement care, nor have we invested much time and energy in finding out what helps our parents overcome the trauma. Faced with lack of options, families often rely on ‘faith’ to interpret and give meaning to their loss.
Objective: To examine the role of faith in shaping bereavement care after stillbirth in India and derive its implications for clinical care.
Methods: The present paper is a narrative review of the existing literature on grief, coping mechanisms, and meaning-making following stillbirth, with particular focus on the Indian context.
Results: Faith is an important coping mechanism in LMICs like India. In the absence of a structured bereavement care algorithm, it is faith and spirituality that helps the parents in healing after stilbirth. Faith provides explanations for loss, supports emotional stability, and structures of grief through rituals. However, certain interpretations may in fact contribute to self-blame or limit engagement with medical inquiries regarding cause of stillbirth. In India, these responses are influenced by family dynamics, gender roles, and limited formal support systems.
Conclusion: Faith is a central component of bereavement after stillbirth in India. The caregivers should recognise and respect parents’ belief systems while giving accepted medical care and advice.
Keywords:
Stillbirth, Bereavement, Faith, Religion, Spirituality, Meaning-making, Disenfranchised grief, Maternal mental health, Cultural context, Obstetric care, India

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Copyright (c) 2026 Era's Journal of Medical Research

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Download PDF View in DOI 10.24041/ejmr.2026.16