PERINATAL DEATH

Key words: Perinatal death, Staff training, Family-centered care

The death of a newborn is an event still occurring with a certain frequency among neonatal intensive care units. This involves in first instance the parents, to whom the loss of their child will always remain a moment of unique grief. But it is also necessary to consider and take care of the impact of the death on the staff of the unit, so that the importance of this occurrence is not understimated and the experience is not removed, leaving back professionality and compassion. With regard to the parents, the course of the grieving process, in terms of modality and duration, is necessarily a personal matter. The professionals, however, have to strive to understand and to “tune in” in a useful and empathic way. This goal can be achieved through both individual behaviour and a suitable organization of the unit. The provision of proper information, before and after the loss, the consideration of previous life experiences and of religious beliefs, the availability of dedicated time and space, the helpfulness in terms of in depth examination in a later time, the transparency of all documents have to be granted to the family and are necessary in order to overcome a painful time and to look at the future again. Eventually, an analysis of these relational dinamics among the staff can be a valuable opportunity for professional and human enrichment.