Life after loss: Parent bereavement and coping experiences after infant death in the neonatal intensive care unit

Death Studies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 333-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin R. Currie ◽  
Becky J. Christian ◽  
Pamela S. Hinds ◽  
Samuel J. Perna ◽  
Cheryl Robinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
And Coping

scholarly journals 108 Palliative care for neonates: Retrospective mixed methods review of infant death in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. e45-e45
Author(s):  
Marina Journault ◽  
Simone Stenekes ◽  
Robin McClure ◽  
Chelsea Ruth
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Specialist Palliative Care ◽  
Age At Death

Abstract Background Neonatal palliative care is an under researched yet growing field in the provision of intensive care to neonates. There are currently no studies which explore infant death in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) itself where a shift from intensive to palliative care may occur. Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the circumstances of infant death in the NICU and understand current utilization of specialist palliative care in this area. It aimed to characterize the infants’ clinical course and add unique understanding by analyzing documentation related to end of life care. Design/Methods A retrospective chart review of infants who died in a single centre NICU between January 2017 and March 2018 was undertaken. Infants of any gestational and post-natal age were included, excluding infants who died prior to arrival to the NICU or were discharged or transferred prior to death. Chart notes relating to prognosis, advanced care planning, and palliative interventions were sampled, coded, and collated for thematic analysis. Results Twenty-five infants met study criteria. Of these, 92% were preterm with more than half below 28 weeks gestation. Median age at death was 5.2 days (IQR 1, 26.2). All infants required ventilator support with planned withdrawal occurring in 60%. Specialist palliative care was involved in 28%; these infants tended to be older (mean age at death = 78 days). Most infants were labelled as “critical” 2-5 days prior to death. Seventy-six percent of infants were held on their last day of life with 72% of families having memory making documented as part of their care. Qualitative excerpts revealed themes of hope and acceptance, parental presence, and framed discussion. Within these emerged concepts of “parental agreement” and “palliative language/approach”. Conclusion There is a growing need for both primary and specialist palliative care in the NICU. This study highlights an under researched area and generates many more important questions. By exploring documented language, we aim to understand and improve the ability to frame the discussion while ensuring quality end of life care for dying infants and their families in the NICU.

scholarly journals Preterm Parents' Stress and Coping Strategies in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a University Hospital of Central Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 244
Author(s):  
Maria Malliarou ◽  
Anni Karadonta ◽  
Spyros Mitroulas ◽  
Theodosios Paralikas ◽  
Stiliani Kotrotsiou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
And Coping

Postneonatal Infant Mortality in Infants Admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prakash Kulkarni ◽  
Robert T. Hall ◽  
Philip G. Rhodes ◽  
Michael B. Sheehan
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant

The postneonatal infant mortality (PNIM) of 2,205 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit from January 1971 to December 1974 was 44 in 1,000 infants who survived to age 28 days. This rate is approximately ten times that of the general population. Congenital malformations (59%), infections (12%), sudden infant death syndrome (10%), and asphyxial brain damage (10%) were the most common causes of death. One third (26) of the infants remained in the hospital whereas two thirds (52) had been dismissed prior to death. All who remained in the hospital plus 36 who had been dismissed died of severe illnesses that were incompatible with prolonged survival. The remaining PNIM was 10 in 1,000 neonatal survivors. This rate is still twice that of the general population. These deaths occurred in infants who were apparently well at the time of dismissal and subsequent examinations. Sudden infant death syndrome and infections constituted the largest portion of this mortality. Factors contributing to mortality in this group were poor socioeconomic status and low birth weight. Maternal age, race, marital status, and neonatal illnesses including apnea were not significantly related. Factors that appear to be important in the birth of high-risk infants continued to be operative in the postneonatal period, and contribute to a high mortality in apparently normal infants dismissed from the neonatal intensive care unit.

scholarly journals Parents perceptions of stress in a neonatal intensive care unit in Rwanda

Curationis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscille Musabirema ◽  
Petra Brysiewicz ◽  
Jennifer Chipps
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Parental Perception ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Infant Birth

Background: Having a newborn infant hospitalised in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an unexpected and stressful event for a family. A number of potential stressors to which family members of patients in these units may be exposed have been identified, although no studies about this issue have been conducted in Rwanda.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe and analyse parental perception of stress that resulted from having their infant admitted to a NICU in Kigali, Rwanda.Method: A quantitative survey was used to describe and analyse parents’ perceptions of stress when they had an infant admitted to a NICU. The Parental Stress Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was used to measure the level of stress that those parents experienced.Results: The results indicated that parents experienced stress from having their infants cared for in a NICU. The most stressful events were the appearance and behaviour of the baby with a mean score of 4.02, whilst the subscale items related to sights and sounds were found to be the least significant source of stress for parents with a mean score of 2.51. In addition, the current study found that parents’ age, educational level, occupation, and infant birth weight were associated with parental stress.Conclusion: The study established that a range of factors was responsible for parental stress when a baby was cared for in a NICU. Identification of these factors could enable health professionals from a hospital in Kigali, Rwanda, to facilitate parents’ adjusting and coping.

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