Phantom babies are symbolic representations of grief and continue their nearly physical existence in the family. Grief reflects the psychological and spiritual attachment to the baby that was lost physically and strongly resists abandonment of the baby. It is based on the primeval energy of parental attachment, which is used, although there is no baby. The mother's grief process and recovery are reflected in the family's overall coping. If the mother is able to share her attachment to the future baby early on in the pregnancy, the father is able to support his wife after their bereavement.
Fathers are generally the best supporters for their wives.
The challenge posed by grief to the father is a need to find his own specific grief beyond the mother's grief. In the light of the present findings, young parents who lose their first child need a lot of support. They may have an inadequate support network, having moved to a new locality as students, for example. They have abundant experiences of being left alone. The families who already had a strong social network were given adequate outside support of many kinds.