### Grasping Grief Following Pregnancy Loss in the United States

Pregnancy loss, which includes miscarriage and stillbirth, represents a profoundly personal and frequently neglected type of grief impacting millions of families across the United States annually. Estimates suggest that nearly 20% of confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage (before the 20th week), and around 1% result in stillbirth (after the 20th week, including at delivery). While these figures are shocking, the emotional and psychological consequences are much more significant. For parents, this loss not only signifies the death of a child they never had the chance to meet but also the destruction of aspirations, dreams, and future plans.

### The Emotional Repercussions of Pregnancy Loss
The grief associated with pregnancy loss is distinctive in both its vigor and intricacy. Such losses are frequently unforeseen, leaving parents to contend with abrupt emptiness. Many undergo intrusive medical procedures that can heighten the trauma, resulting in mental health struggles including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, these feelings are often exacerbated by societal misunderstandings and a deficiency in communal recognition, leading to disenfranchised grief—a form of mourning that is neither fully acknowledged nor legitimized by those around the grieving individuals.

#### Disenfranchised Grief and Loneliness
For a number of grieving parents, seeking emotional support can be a challenging journey. Support systems often find it difficult to offer consolation, leaving mourners feeling misrepresented and alone. Traditions that typically assist in processing loss (such as funerals or memorials) might not be present in instances of pregnancy loss, contributing to this sense of disenfranchisement. Parents frequently lack environments in which to articulate their complex feelings of sorrow, guilt, anger, or helplessness.

### Grief Among Fathers: The Unseen Sorrow
While societal narratives generally center on mothers’ experiences of pregnancy loss, fathers also face significant grief—often in silence.

A meta-analysis conducted by Due, Chiarolli, and Riggs indicates that men commonly perceive their roles as providers of support, placing their partners’ emotional requirements above their own. This pattern often prevents them from recognizing or addressing their own sorrow. Numerous fathers express feelings of being marginalized, unrecognized by healthcare professionals, and left out of decision-making avenues. This “double-disenfranchised grief” denies fathers’ experiences while imposing a sense of invisibility during the grieving process.

Kelly Jean-Philippe, a father who has faced pregnancy loss, poignantly illustrated this phenomenon, recalling how a doctor overlooked him during his wife’s treatment after a miscarriage. His story highlights how systemic views on gender roles can amplify the emotional strain for fathers, leaving them to silently confront feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and grief.

### Racial Disparities: The Experiences of Black Families
The journeys of Black families after pregnancy loss introduce further layers of complexity influenced by systemic inequities, cultural expectations, and historical distrust in medical establishments.

#### Increased Pregnancy Loss Rates and Obstacles to Care
Black families encounter statistically elevated rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes. For instance, miscarriage rates for Black women are 43% higher than those for white women, and Black infant mortality rates exceed double those of white infants. These discrepancies are connected to structural racism, implicit bias, and systemic disparities in healthcare access and quality. Nevertheless, while research has highlighted the tragic statistics surrounding maternal and infant mortality for Black women, there has been relatively little focus on the experiences of fathers—leaving their grief predominantly unexplored.

#### Cultural and Societal Pressures on Black Fathers
Studies reveal that cultural norms surrounding strength and resilience may further hinder how Black fathers cope with grief. Lekuti describes the ideal of the “strong, silent African American man,” where men are expected to conceal their feelings, mourn alone, and refrain from seeking assistance to uphold standards of masculinity. This portrayal is often reinforced by societal stereotypes that depict Black men as aggressive or indifferent, creating a cycle of suppressed emotions. Many Black fathers feel additional pressure to fulfill their roles as family protectors while navigating a healthcare system that can often be unfriendly.

In one investigation, low-income Black fathers noted that emotional challenges were compounded by external pressures like financial instability, rigid job requirements, and inadequate insurance coverage. For dads dealing with grief, these external factors intensify feelings of helplessness and isolation.

#### Bias in Treatment and Perceived Exclusions
Black families frequently report feelings of exclusion from care discussions and decision-making in medical contexts. This exclusion breeds mistrust in medical institutions and heightens feelings of marginalization. As Jean-Philippe pointed out, implicit bias may complicate how Black fathers experience care environments, particularly since these biases are often under-examined and unaddressed.

### Limited Research, Vast Questions
Given the significant gaps in academic and medical studies regarding the grief of Black men following pregnancy loss, their perspectives remain underrepresented. Researchers have started to inquire