Follow up care of bereaved parents after treatment withdrawal from newborns

Abstract

Objective-To explore parents' experiences of bereavement care after withdrawal of newborn intensive care. Design-Face to face interviews with 108 parents of 62 babies born over two calendar years in the East of Scotland. Results-Only 22% were seen by six weeks after the death, 10% were not recalled before 6-11 months, and 8% were not seen at all in the first year. All except one couple saw the neonatologist who had cared for their baby. Only 33% remembered a neonatal nurse being present. Most (88%) were seen in the study hospital. Parents highlighted a number of specific needs. Conclusions-Follow up care is a crucial part of the management of families from whose babies treatment has been withdrawn. Resources devoted to it should be re-examined to provide a service more in tune with parental need. In choosing the place, timing, and conduct of the meeting, staV should be sensitive to the expressed wishes of the parents themselves. (Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2001;84:F125-F128)

Fathers' Experience of Social Support After the Death of a Child

“…However, in practice it may be unclear whose role it is to support the parents after they have left the hospital and what this entails. According to McHaffe, Laing, and Lloyd (2001) most parents want to meet the neonatologist who cared for their baby, but only some had joint meetings. In addition, only a few parents remembered a neonatal nurse being present (see also Säflund et a1., 2004).…”

Changing a Diagnosis: The Importance of Neonatal Autopsy

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] The death of a newborn is a tragic event and when contributing factors as to the cause of the death are discovered through a complete autopsy, parents can begin the healing process and plan future pregnancies realistically. 5,7,10 Some publications have suggested far fewer psychological long-term difficulties in mothers who learned the cause of death through autopsy.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] The death of a newborn is a tragic event and when contributing factors as to the cause of the death are discovered through a complete autopsy, parents can begin the healing process and plan future pregnancies realistically. 5,7,10 Some publications have suggested far fewer psychological long-term difficulties in mothers who learned the cause of death through autopsy. 6,7,10 In the case presented, the mother was unaware of the pregnancy until the day of delivery; she was distressed by the possible effects on the infant of birth control pills, and that she may have ruptured her membranes 1 day prior to delivery leading to the demise of the infant due to infection.…”

“…5,7,10 Some publications have suggested far fewer psychological long-term difficulties in mothers who learned the cause of death through autopsy. 6,7,10 In the case presented, the mother was unaware of the pregnancy until the day of delivery; she was distressed by the possible effects on the infant of birth control pills, and that she may have ruptured her membranes 1 day prior to delivery leading to the demise of the infant due to infection. Both parents were relieved to find out the nature of their premature infant's problems at delivery that led to his eventual death.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] This case report underscores the value of an autopsy in determining the cause(s) of death in an infant in which the clinical diagnosis of sepsis was thought to be the sole cause of death.…”