At the Time of Death: Help for the Child's Parents

A qualitative study was done to determine actions by health care personnel perceived as helpful and unhelpful to parents at the time of their child's death. A semistructured interview with 14 parents was conducted and data were classified according to existing or emerging themes: informing of the death, viewing the body, consent for autopsy, siblings, effects of health care personnel on the grieving process, supportive persons, chaplains, parents' states of mind at the time of death, attitudes of health care personnel, and closure. Implications for providing parental care at the time of the child's death are discussed.