title: Continuing bonds: a human response within paediatric palliative care.
abstract: The concept of continuing bonds (CB) is a human response to health and illness within paediatric palliative care. This literature review aims to: define and explain the significance of CB; describe the history of the concept; critically analyze the literature related to CB; and make recommendations for future research. Exploration of CB as a response to life-threatening illness and to losing a child is significant in terms of improving care for children and their families living with life-threatening illness. This paper focuses on children with a life-threatening illness, but CB also needs to be studied with other populations, such as those with life-limiting conditions.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt School of Nursing, TN, USA. Terah.I.Foster@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Terrah L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gilmer
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D010372:Pediatrics