OBJECTIVE: Report on survival to discharge of children in a combined paediatric/neonatal intensive care unit (PNICU). DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cross-sectional record review. PARTICIPANTS: All children (medical and surgical patients) admitted…
Background: Very preterm birth (24 to < 32 week's gestation) is a major public health issue due to its prevalence, the clinical and ethical questions it raises and the associated costs. It raises two major clinical and ethical dilemma: (i) during the…
Introduction: Because pediatric hospitalists have increasing responsibilities in newborn hospitalization, training in perinatal palliative care is beneficial. A 2015 needs assessment revealed 68% of surveyed pediatric hospitalists were interested in…
BACKGROUND: The British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) published a revised framework for perinatal management of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) in 2019. We aimed to assess UK neonatal professionals' interpretation of elements of this…
BACKGROUND: In case of extreme premature delivery at 24 weeks of gestation, both early intensive care and palliative comfort care for the neonate are considered treatment options. Prenatal counseling, preferably using shared decision making, is…
BACKGROUND: Pediatric organ donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) has increased in recent years; however, there are few data reporting the number of neonatal potential DCD organ donors and no Canadian-specific reports. OBJECTIVE:…
Withdrawal of life-sustaining support on the neonatal unit presents a set of unique challenges specific in this age group of patients. This article aims to provide an overview of the key factors that should be considered during this process. It…
BACKGROUND: High quality communication between providers and parents of seriously ill neonatal patients is vital and yet poorly understood. Feudtner summarized five challenges and seven priorities to the study and advancement of pediatric palliative…
BACKGROUND: Decisions about treatments for extremely preterm infants (EPIs) born in the 'grey zone' of viability can be ethically complex. This 2020 survey aimed to determine views of UK neonatal staff about thresholds for treatment of EPIs given a…
Perinatal palliative care has grown out of both an historical necessity in attending to babies in the NICU that face difficult odds of survival, the increasing technology that may avail life-extending, yet technology-dependent, care, and the growth…
Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a weekly palliative care-guided, case-based discussion of high-risk infants on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) physician (MD) and Advanced Practice Provider (APP) perceptions of…
A lack of well-structured guideline or care pathway results in inadequate, inconsistent and fragmented palliative care (PC) for babies and their families. The impact on the families could be emotionally and psychologically distressing. Not all…
