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. 2020 Apr;26(2):286-295.
doi: 10.4094/chnr.2020.26.2.286. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

[Bereavement Care for Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Literature Review]

[Article in Korean]
Wonjin Seo, Hyejung Lee, Sumi Oh, Hyoeun Sa, Hyoyeong Kim

[Bereavement Care for Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Literature Review]

[Article in Korean]
Wonjin Seo et al. Child Health Nurs Res. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review studies investigating the effect of bereavement care provided for parents in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods: We conducted a literature review of databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) for studies published in English and four databases (RISS, KISS, NANET, and KoreaMed) for Korean studies. The selection criteria included original articles that evaluated the parents' perceptions or responses to bereavement care provided in the neonatal intensive care unit. Of 889 articles from the initial screening, 66 articles underwent full-text review and five articles were finally selected for analysis.

Results: None of the studies was conducted in Korea. Only one study used a randomized control trial design. The forms of bereavement care reviewed included a provision of a memory package, grief information, and emotional and/or social support from peers or health care providers. The effectiveness of bereavement care was measured by including grief, social support, and depression.

Conclusion: Bereavement care can be considered to be beneficial for relieving grief reactions and enhancing the personal growth of bereaved parents. Future research should assess the needs of bereaved parents in Korea. Nurses may play a role in developing the bereavement care for parents.

Keywords: Bereavement; Intensive care unit; Newborn; Review.

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Conflict of interest statement

No existing or potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram of the literature search.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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