A study into a parent’s very individual experience following the death of an infant demonstrated the need for caution in applying general models of bereavement, as Caryl Skene explains

The stories of nine women who have lost a child in the neonatal period were obtained using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed, ‘anonymised’ and sorted into categories. Although the data can be grouped in sections according to predominant themes such as ‘discontinuation of treatment’, ‘photographs and memories’, ‘partners’ and ‘conflict over treatment’, the stories highlight the individual nature of each bereavement experience. Some of the women were satisfied with the individualised care they had received, but there were examples of staff providing care based on assumptions that would be appropriate for most women, but not for the person concerned.