Critical review of the literature: Parental grief after the loss of a multiple

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses are commonly responsible for the care of multiple birth families who are experiencing the unique paradox of grieving for one infant while simultaneously hoping for and attaching to their living infant. It is therefore imperative that the NICU nurse has an understanding of how to provide care that is supportive, holistic and healing for families who have lost a twin. As such, a review of the literature was conducted to develop a greater understanding of the grief parents of a multi-fetal pregnancy experience when one or more of their infants are lost either prior to delivery or in the neonatal period. Recommendations are put forth as to how the NICU nurse can provide care for bereaved parents of multiples as aligned with the human science paradigm of nursing. Additionally, limitations of the current literature as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.