Neonatal end-of-life care in Sweden: the views of Muslim women.
OBJECTIVE
To explore Muslim women's views of neonatal end-of-life-care in Sweden.


METHODS
Interviews using a standardized questionnaire with open-ended questions about care before birth, directly after birth, and during and after the death of the infant. Content analysis was performed on the data.


METHODS
Eleven immigrant women of Muslim background living in Sweden.


RESULTS
The categories identified were information both useful and threatening, priority of medical facts, maternal feelings, roles of significant others, predetermined lifetime, protection of the dying infant, staff's role, memories aggravate the grief, special tradition, life after death and belief in the future.


CONCLUSIONS
The women provided suggestions for improvement of care including being given sufficient information of and the need for culturally sensitive care. In providing care for Muslim women it is imperative that care take into account the woman's religion and ethnicity as well as individual preferences.
Lundqvist
Anita
A
Department of Medical Ethics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. anita.lundqvist@omv.lu.se
Nilstun
Tore
T
Dykes
Anna-Karin
AK
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001601:Bereavement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009732:Nursing Care; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D013548:Sweden; D013727:Terminal Care