A death in the family: the pediatrician's role.
The loss of a parent or sibling can have a profound effect on the psychosocial development of the surviving child. The pediatrician, by virtue of his or her longitudinal involvement with children, is in a unique position to provide anticipatory guidance for the family in which such a loss has taken place. This article reviews children's cognitive understanding of death, the distinction between normal and pathologic grief, and the impact of the loss of a parent or sibling on the course of family relations and the development of the children involved. Some of the common problems that may be manifest in children subsequent to such a loss, together with appropriate interventions, are outlined. Most situations can be best handled by the pediatrician, but criteria for seeking psychiatric consultation are provided.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003142:Communication; D003643:Death; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010372:Pediatrics; D010819:Physician's Role; D012380:Role; D012801:Sibling Relations