Study protocol to develop bereavement care package for the Indian healthcare system to support parents of stillborn babies

India is estimated to have the largest number of stillbirths globally. Although the health system in India has made significant strides in maternal and newborn care, the bereavement needs of the parents’ experiencing stillbirth have not received attention. As recognising that grief and coping processes are influenced by many socio-cultural contexts, it is critical to comprehend the experiences and unmet needs of bereaved families in India. Therefore, this study aims to develop a culturally appropriate bereavement care package that is integrated within the current maternal health services to support bereaved parents and families across all levels of care. Stillbirth for this study is defined as a baby who dies after 28 weeks of gestation before or during the birth. The components will include a scoping review to summarise bereavement practices within healthcare settings globally; in-depth interviews (IDI) with 240 mothers, 240 fathers, and 240 bereaved family members of stillborn babies from a varied socio-cultural background; focus group discussions (FGD) with 620 healthcare providers, including cadres covering primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities; and stakeholder consultation. Qualitative thematic analysis will be applied to the data from the IDIs and FGDs, considering both deductive and inductive approach with individual statements treated as the unit of analysis during the qualitative thematic analysis. The systematic thematic content analysis will be performed to generate overarching themes using an inductive approach, allowing patterns, themes, or categories to emerge. Together, these will lead to drafting of a bereavement care package, inputs on which will be sought from bereaved families, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders. The bereavement care package refined with these inputs will then be tested for implementation in the next phase. The expected outcome of this work is a bereavement care package that is culturally appropriate, practical, and integrated within maternal health care services. The strength of this work lies in its authenticity, appropriateness, and practical viability, ensuring bereaved parents receive meaningful support that truly resonates with their lived realities.