Soins palliatifs pédiatriques en France : d'hier à demain

The death of the child remains an unbearable reality for those who face it: parents, siblings and medical staff. The pediatric palliative approach was born out of hematology/oncology care, from physicians and caregivers' desire to make the suffering of children who cannot be cured, of their families and of health care teams, less important and less invasive. In this article, the authors did not try to give a complete description of the palliative approach development in all areas of pediatrics during these last fifteen years. Based on their personal experiences in intensive care and neurology, two areas associated with the suffering and death of children, the authors sought to retrace the evolution of the pediatric palliative approach from its origins to the present day. This is done through the lens of both the carers and the parents. Through this unique perspective, they describe the changes they have seen and present the challenges pediatric palliative care will face in the future.