When Do We Ask for Help? An End-of-life Experience in a Level III NICU

Abstract

Nearly one million pregnancies will end with fetal demise in either the peripartum or antepartum period annually with a suspected 34% of all recorded pediatric deaths occuring during the neonatal period, highlighting the significant role that neonatologists play in bridging the line between critical care and end-of-life medicine. As such, Palliative Care has been shown to help provide family members and healthcare providers alike support in navigating these arduous decisions regarding care for critical patients. Herein we present a narrative medicine piece highlighting the case of a newborn diagnosed with Necrotizing Enterocolitis and sepsis in a severely premature infant and the conversations and medical decisions that ensued