Attitudes and practice of funeral directors toward newborn death
Titel:
Attitudes and practice of funeral directors toward newborn death
Auteur:
Benfield, D. Gary Nichols, Jane A.
Verschenen in:
Death studies
Paginering:
Jaargang 8 (1984) nr. 2-3 pagina's 155-167
Jaar:
1984-04-01
Inhoud:
We performed a study to measure funeral director attitudes and practice toward selected newborn death issues. A questionnaire was designed, piloted and then mailed to 269 funeral directors in northeastern Ohio. One hundred and thirteen (42 percent) responded and they constitute the sample. The sample indicated that 85 percent of the time fathers alone plan the newborn funeral, 13 percent of the time mothers and fathers together, and 12 percent of the time grandparents plan alone or assist others. Eighty-one percent of funeral directors would offer parents the option to see their dead baby, 64 percent to touch, 27 percent to hold, and 11 percent the option to dress the baby. Thus, the more intimate the contact, the less likely an option will be offered. In contrast, 81 percent would seldom or almost never encourage viewing the visibly deformed dead infant. Funeral directors had misconceptions and mixed feelings about the newborn autopsy. Sixty-five percent thought the newborn autopsy is performed primarily for research, 48 percent felt it provides helpful information for parents, and 36 percent indicated that it makes their job more difficult. Lack of cooperation between funeral directors and pathologists and lack of funeral director skill in preparing the autopsied newborn seems to account for most of the difficulties. Improved physician-to-funeral director cooperation and expanded pre-and-post graduate funeral director education and training may enhance the ability of funeral directors to help families achieve a healthy outcome when a newborn dies.
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