Neonatal Death in the Emergency Department: When End-of-Life Care Is Needed at the Beginning of Life

The death of a neonate is devastating for all involved. Each year, critically ill neonates present to emergency departments across the United States. These infants require acute medical interventions with a goal of stabilization. Despite these efforts, hundreds of infants die every year in emergency departments across the United States. Emergency care providers, unaccustomed to providing neonatal end-of-life care, may feel unsure about how to best care for families during resuscitative measures and after neonates die. There is literature to suggest that increased knowledge and advance preparation can calm fears of providers caring for patients in such tragic situations. We aim to provide in this article a broad overview of a variety of topics related to neonatal death and bereavement care.