Maori men and the grief of SIDS.

Abstract

The loss of a baby is always hard to cope with and the grieving process is likely to be difficult. Interventions to work with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) families have improved grieving outcomes for many but the needs of Maori fathers are not well understood or catered to by existing services. This article presents narrative data from Maori fathers who have lost a baby to SIDS and analyzes these narratives in the context of the literature and of traditional Maori constructs about grief. The authors document a rarely discussed Maori concept, "the attainment of mauri tau," as the desired outcome of the grieving process; and begin a discussion around the changing face of the Maori grieving process and its implications for the grieving practices of Maori men.