Neonatal End Of Life Review Articles
Death at the beginning of life is tragic but not uncommon in
neonatal intensive care units. In Portugal, few studies have examined the circumstances surrounding the final moments of neonates. We evaluated the care given to neonates and their families in terminal situations and the changes that had occurred one decade later.
While advances in
neonatal medicine have increased the possibility of sustaining life for many infants, more infants still die in the
neonatal period (birth to 27 days of life) than those in any other time in childhood. Despite this statistic, there still remains much that is unknown about both the needs and the care of these critically ill babies. Palliative care is a viable option for many of these infants and their families. However,
palliative care is rarely provided as an option for families. To provide healthcare providers with an overview of palliative and
end-of-life care for infants in the
neonatal period, we conducted an integrative review of the current research literature. A total of 10
articles were selected for the review. Findings from these studies were summarized in 1 of 4 categories: practices of withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment,
pain management during ventilator withdrawal, parents and the
decision-making process, and the dying process
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