Predisposition to psychological complications after stillbirth: a case report.

As many as one-third of women bereaved by stillbirth suffer psychological decompensation, and a similar proportion see the obstetric team as unsupportive. A case history is presented of a woman who suffered severe psychiatric illness after delivering a stillborn anencephalic infant. This paper discusses the powerful influence that the behavior of the obstetric team in the delivery room can exert on the long-term outcome of the crisis. This case highlights a number of practical aspects of the psychological management of bereavement by stillbirth.