A protocol of action and support in death and perinatal grief is implemented in Lanzarote from the Health Area of the island. This is a further step to continue "humanizing" care in the face of this traumatic experience and focus "the gaze on the experience of mothers and fathers in mourning", also seeking to improve the quality of care for all professionals who care for them.
Also perinatal death, which occurs during pregnancy and up to the first month of the baby's life, is a "very difficult" trance for mothers, fathers and relatives who suffer it and generates "a very complex and unique grief".
An initiative developed from a "holistic approach" and based on "evidence and good practices", since this document seeks to "humanize" care in perinatal losses, enhance women's autonomy and facilitate their decision-making in the grieving process, accompany the family and promote a satisfactory evolution of the same, reports the Ministry of Health. It also seeks to provide a framework for action for professionals involved in the care of families who suffer this loss in any trimester of pregnancy.
"Humanize care in perinatal losses, enhance women's autonomy and facilitate their decision-making in the grieving process"
This protocol includes "how health professionals should act" in these cases, from the consultation of the primary care midwife, the emergency service, the obstetrics consultation, delivery room and, if necessary, the transfer to the Materno Infantil University Hospital of the Canary Islands, in Gran Canaria.
"It offers professionals communication tools, to, among other things, support parents in their decisions"
It also offers professionals "communication tools" and various recommendations on "how to create a space of proximity and trust", listen to parents and offer them information in a clear and adjusted manner to each moment, as well as explain their options, in addition to supporting them in their decisions.
The protocol, the result of the work carried out by a multidisciplinary team made up of nurses, midwives and gynecologists, is a flexible, open document that will be under constant review. It is aimed at professionals who directly care for families who have suffered a perinatal loss at the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital. During this time, training and awareness sessions have been carried out with professionals and some of the good practices that the protocol now includes have been implemented to achieve excellence in care in both physical and psychological care, prioritizing multidisciplinary and comprehensive support from health professionals.
Create memories and experiences
Currently, in the face of a perinatal loss, it is always recommended to introduce the baby and offer their relatives the opportunity to spend time together and create memories in this way. This whole process requires the utmost delicacy and respect so that parents can hold him in their arms, cuddle him or print his footprints, take photos or sing him a song, in a space that can guarantee an intimate and peaceful farewell within the hospital environment.
All these measures are carried out in order to generate memories and experiences that can help the development of a grieving process as healthy as possible.
Precisely in that line, the primary care health centers of Lanzarote and the Molina Orosa Hospital have been working for years and, among the practices that are carried out, is the so-called 'Memory Box', a tool that can be very useful in the grieving process. With this instrument, the center staff informs families about the meaning of this box, what it contains and its symbolism. The boxes can contain different details such as a card for the footprints, a birth certificate, the umbilical cord clamp, the identification bracelet or a lullaby. A card is also given to the family so they can take pictures of the baby.