Perinatal palliative care after a stillbirth - Midwives experiences of using Cubitus baby

Perinatal palliative care after a stillbirth - Midwives experiences of using Cubitus baby

Radestad I; Listermar KH

Bmc Pregnancy And Childbirth

2017

midwife; palliative therapy; Stillbirth; Cold; Cold Temperature; content analysis; cooling; Female; Human; human dignity; infant; major clinical study; Male; Midwifery; Palliative Care; Parents; Questionnaire; Refrigeration; Sweden

In Sweden, around 450 babies are stillborn every year. Usually, the parents stay at the hospital a couple of days after the birth and they can have the baby in their room. Due to the importance to keep a dead body cold it has, until recently, been a routine to separate the baby from the parents and place the baby in a refrigerator during the night. With the goal to improve the dignity for the baby and the family a tool was developed. Cubitus baby, a special cot with cooling blocks, was implemented at all 48 delivery wards in Sweden during 2013-2014. The aim of the study was to investigate the midwives experiences of using Cubitus baby. In total 155 midwives answered a questionnaire. One open question was analyzed with content analyses. Five categories were formed concerning the midwives experiences; a gracious feeling, a sense of relief in their work, caring with coldness, time to say goodbye and a good feeling for the parents. Cubitus Baby is an essential tool for the midwife when they provide perinatal palliative care. The midwife can give time to say farewell without feeling stressed that they must separate the baby from the parents.

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