Meeting the emotional and behavioral health needs of bereaved NICU parents.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2025
Identifier
DOI: 10.1038/s41372-025-02218-z
Abstract
Parents who experience the death of a child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for adverse behavioral health outcomes. For many parents, their child may have never lived outside of the hospital and the grief and loss this subset of bereaved parents' experience is unique. NICU parents may feel robbed of traditional parenthood and lean on NICU providers for support, creating a dynamic in which the care team plays a key role in shaping the parents' experience of their child's life and death. In this perspective, opportunities to support NICU parents in their bereavement are reviewed alongside recommendations at the individual, institutional, and national level to work toward a gold standard for neonatal bereavement care.
Journal Title
Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association
Volume
45
Issue
7
First Page
1023
Last Page
1028
MeSH Keywords
Humans; Parents; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Bereavement; Infant, Newborn; Social Support
PubMed ID
39929989
Keywords
Parents; Neonatal Intensive Care Units; Bereavement; Newborn Infant; Social Support
Recommended Citation
Ruth O, Amiri S, Baughcum AE, et al. Meeting the emotional and behavioral health needs of bereaved NICU parents. J Perinatol. 2025;45(7):1023-1028. doi:10.1038/s41372-025-02218-z
COinS
