Parents of stillborns often fear autopsy, research finds

Parents who suffer the tragedy of a stillbirth are often reluctant to consent to autopsy for fear of further harm to their child — a legacy of the organ retention scandal and negative TV portrayal of the procedure.

Fear of their child undergoing further invasive procedures is reflected in the poor autopsy uptake rate, with just half of stillborns undergoing a postmortem, despite the valuable information it can give to doctors when managing a subsequent pregnancy.

These are among the findings of a number of researchers who will discuss the topic of stillbirth today at a conference looking at its effects on parents and the doctors who deliver the infants.