Nurses' and midwives' perceptions and strategies to cope with perinatal death situations: A systematic literature review.

AIM: The aim of this paper is to describe the strategies used by nurses and midwives to cope with experiences of dealing with perinatal death and maintain their satisfaction at work. DESIGN: Systematic literature review, in accordance with the PRISMA Declaration. DATA SOURCES: (2000-2021) Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, CINALH and Dialnet, for articles in English and Spanish from the period between January 2000 and March 2021. REVIEW METHODS: The outcome of the review was the perceptions of nurses and midwives who have cared for people in a situation of perinatal loss. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were identified that evaluated the attitudes, experiences and needs of these healthcare professionals. The combined size of all samples was 2196 participants. CONCLUSIONS: The negative effects on these professionals' satisfaction with their situation at work could be mitigated by covering their needs for knowledge, experience, and emotional and technical skills to deal with such events. IMPACT: As potential protective factors against dissatisfaction in nurses and midwives during perinatal death experiences, we identified older age and experience in perinatal care and coping strategies based on communicating one's feelings to peers, empathetic listening to the families cared for, training and institutional support. No Patient or Public Contribution.

Impact of dietary mercury intake during pregnancy on the health of neonates and children: a systematic review.

CONTEXT: Growing evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to methyl mercury through the maternal diet could have great influence on the neurological and physical development of neonates and young children. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to evaluate the clinical repercussions of maternal exposure to methyl mercury during pregnancy on the health of fetuses, neonates, and children up to 8 years of age. DATA SOURCES: The Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Dialnet Plus databases were searched for articles published in English or Spanish from 1990 to 2020. STUDY SELECTION: Original articles published in English or Spanish from 1990 to 2020 were eligible for inclusion. All study designs were eligible. Animal studies were excluded. Two authors independently screened studies for inclusion. From the 971 records initially identified, 19 studies were included in the systematic review. DATA EXTRACTION: PRISMA guidelines were followed. Outcomes extracted included maternal dietary exposure to methyl mercury during pregnancy, possible health repercussions in offspring up to 8 years of age, and quantitative measurement of mercury in a biological sample. All studies met the requirements established for assessing both study quality and risk of bias. RESULTS: Prenatal exposure to mercury was consistently associated with lower birth weight, but only one study reported a negative association with length at birth. Higher mercury levels were also related to lower scores in various neuropsychological and developmental tests. CONCLUSION: The literature shows clear evidence of the adverse effects of maternal methyl mercury exposure on anthropometric variables and cognitive or physical development in children. It is noteworthy, however, that mercury toxicity may sometimes be mitigated by other essential nutrients in the maternal diet, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids.