Perinatal Hospice Care during the Antepartum Period

Abstract

In the mid‐1990s, professionals and laypeople began to openly discuss the need for an evidence base or best practice model related to neonatal palliative care. During that time, researchers in the field ( Calhoun et al., 1997 Calhoun B.C. Hoeldtke N.J. Hinson R.M. Judge K.M. Perinatal hospice: Should all centers have this service?. Neonatal Network. 1997; 16: 101-102 PubMed Google Scholar , Catlin, 1999 Catlin A.J. Physicians neonatal resuscitation of extremely low birth weight preterm infants. Image. 1999; 31: 269-275 Google Scholar ; Catlin and Carter, 2000 Catlin A.J. Carter B.S. Continuing the dialogue: Resuscitation of marginally viable neonates. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2000; 9: 400-403 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar , Catlin and Carter, 2002 Catlin A.J. Carter B.S. Creation of a neonatal end of life palliative care protocol. Journal of Perinatology. 2002; 22: 184-195 Crossref PubMed Scopus (223) Google Scholar ; Carter and Bhatia, 2001 Carter B. Bhatia J. Comfort/palliative care guidelines for neonatal practice: Development and implementation in an academic medical center. Journal of Perinatology. 2001; 21: 279-283 Crossref PubMed Scopus (49) Google Scholar ; Leuthner and Pierrucci, 2001 Leuthner S.R. Pierrucci R. Experience with neonatal palliative care consultation at the Medical College of Wisconsin‐Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2001; 4: 39-47 Crossref PubMed Scopus (36) Google Scholar ) began thoughtful reflection, discourse, and scholarly publication about this subject. At the same time, researchers in the United States and abroad ( Armentrout, 1986 Armentrout D. Attitudes beliefs/feelings held by neonatal nurses toward the care and management of fetal infants. Neonatal Network. 1986; 5: 23-30 PubMed Google Scholar ; Brinchmann, 2001 Brinchmann B.S. Neonatal medicine in Norway. Journal of Clinical Ethics. 2001; 12: 307-311 PubMed Google Scholar ; Hulac, 2001 Hulac P. Creation and use of You are Not Alone, a video for parents facing difficult decisions. Journal of Clinical Ethics. 2001; 12: 251-253 PubMed Google Scholar ; Penticuff, 1988 Penticuff J.H. Neonatal intensive care: Parental prerogatives. Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. 1988; 1: 77-86 Crossref PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar ) were communicating about improved models of care for families of dying infants. To disseminate this knowledge to practitioners, the Gundersen Lutheran Hospital Resolve, through the Sharing Bereavement Program ( Gundersen, 2013 Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation. (2013). Our mission. Retrieved from http://www.gundluth.org/foundation/mission Google Scholar ), was established by Rana Limbo and Sarah Wheeler to educate caregivers in how to professionally respond to the dying infant and family. Anita Catlin, DSC, FNP, FAAN, is an ethics and research consultant, Pope Valley, CA.