The difficulties of working through the mourning due to the death of a fetus or newly-born child is discussed in this article, a condition we will generically call perinatal mourning, based on the ideas of disavowal and trauma. We argue that the peculiarities of this type of mourning, which is not usually recognized by those near the mothers involved cause disastrous effects in their psyche. Such effects can be seen in the clinic, often through the surviving children.
Psychanalysis; mourning; psychopathology; mother-baby relationship