Conscious decisions in perinatal hospice: Innovative support for parenthood, family psychophysical well-being, and grief processing

Considerations on perinatal death are not news, indeed much is already known about the unpredictable and traumatic consequences of such an event. However, today’s reflection aims at analyzing this phenomenon from a different perspective, i.e. that of perinatal hospice intended as a place of care and accompaniment for families focused on supporting their desire for parenthood and a healthy grieving process, through conscious decision-making. This practice is an alternative to therapeutic abortion and, contrary to common thought, can bring positive effects on all family members, yet, as it has been noticed, also on healthcare workers, who still suffer from the death of a baby patient and the distress related to the failure of medical science.