Dr Sylvia Murphy-Tighe is a midwife, public health nurse and Lecturer in Midwifery at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick, Ireland. Her research interests include vulnerability, maternal and infant health and community engagement. Her doctoral research was funded by the Health Research Board Research (Research Training Fellowship), and defended her PhD in 2017. She developed a grounded typology of concealed pregnancy in order to increase understanding of this phenomenon. She has brought The Spaces Between Us Visual Art Exhibition to Ireland from Australia in order to raise public awareness of concealed pregnancy and the tragic outcomes that can ensue and her research has featured in radio & TV interviews. Dr Murphy-Tighe has many practice-based links to maternity and community-based nursing and NGO services. She is a co- investigator on the PART-IM project (UL) which is a participatory health research projects involving migrants and is currently leading a pilot study of a training programme involving community nurses enquiring about domestic violence and abuse. She is also an active member of @CA18211 Devotion an EU COST Action working on birth related trauma and PTSD. Additionally she is supervising masters and doctoral researchers in the area of perinatal mental health. Dr Murphy-Tighe has several ISI publications https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sylvia_Murphy_tighe and is a member of the Health Research Institute at the University of Limerick.
Concealed pregnancy is a contested issue and ambiguity relating to definitions has hindered practice/policy developments. This presentation aims to assist participants understanding of concealed pregnancy. A range of terms have been used such as concealed, denied, disavowed, negated, cryptic, rejected and secret pregnancy. Women who experience a concealed pregnancy are sometimes pathologised or demonised, with reductive definitions characterising them. Research and practice surrounding concealed pregnancy predominantly privileges the views of professionals. The literature generally approaches concealed pregnancy from a biomedical perspective with links made to mental illness (Murphy Tighe and Lalor 2016a) yet research into neonaticide found psychopathology was rare. Concealed pregnancy is a fearful and traumatic experience with lifelong consequences which must be fully understood as some women are paralysed and unable to access healthcare if they have experienced early life traumatic/abusive experiences.
This presentation draws on research funded by the Health Research Board, Ireland. Data includes interviews with thirty women who experienced a concealed pregnancy, as well data from twenty two cases of public interest drawn from media reports, serious case reviews into infant deaths and interactions with professionals. Contemporary cases will be used and vignettes from women will provide context to the evidence based literature on concealed pregnancy.
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