title: Care for bereaved families.
abstract: Because of support groups and studies on death, a new type of care for bereaved parents has been crafted over the past several decades. Support groups and medical professionals are key to this type of care. For medical professionals this job is difficult at times since individual needs may differ. But by following some basic guidelines, medical professionals can help the parents start the recovery process for they are the ones in contact with the parents at the time of death. The guidelines include giving the families complete medical information, reassurance and a chance to talk. Also, importantly, this care includes treating the baby and family with dignity and acknowledging the magnitude of the loss. In Japan most bereaved parents still go completely unassisted at the time of their baby's death. Formation of support groups and a greater awareness by medical professionals on how to care for these families will solve this problem.
authors.affiliation: SIDS Family Association, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008503:Medical Staff; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013398:Sudden Infant Death