The Baby Needs a Name: Filipino-American Perspectives on Perinatal Loss Care

Chichester, Melanie

Tuesday, 1 November 2011: 8:30 AM

Melanie Chichester, BSN, RNC
Labor & Delivery, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE

Learning Objective 1: Describe the standard of care for families experiencing perinatal loss.

Learning Objective 2: Name 2 items Filipino families consider very important in the event of a perinatal loss.

Background / Significance: After perinatal loss, standard of care is to offer parents time to see and hold their baby, and provide memory items to validate the baby’s existence. Standards for perinatal loss are focused on the American majority culture with poor individualization to families from other cultures or faith traditions. There little research specific to how different cultures within the United States deal with the issue of perinatal loss. End-of-life care needs to be individualized to each family's needs. Depending on acculturation, they may choose a blend of traditional and mainstream American practices.

Method: This was a simple survey study, distributed at a regional Filipino nurses' conference. Surveys were distributed with a cover letter explaining standards of care and inquiring which of these were acceptable, which might not be, and why.

Results: Thirty-five surveys were returned at the nurses’ conference. Mean age was 41, range 32-58, and 100% had at least 4 years of college. Ninety-seven percent approved of the mother seeing/holding the baby, but only 86% agreed that other family members should also see/hold the baby. Footprints (82%) and pictures (72%) were mostly acceptable, but many also commented that it depended on the wishes of the parents. All participants believed in naming and a blessing, as this was part of Filipino/Catholic tradition and the baby was still a part of the family. A funeral was more acceptable for a neonatal death (94%) than a stillbirth (86%). Only 26% would permit an autopsy.

Implications for Practice: This small pilot study confirms that not all Filipino families would choose everything usually offered/encouraged and more research is needed on other cultures and faith traditions.

See more of: Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
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