Bereavement care: seeing the body

Generally, it is now accepted that the long-term outcomes are better for those who are able to see the body of a loved one as it helps people who are grieving to come to terms with the death.

While the evidence indicates that seeing the body of a loved one helps the grieving process, a recent study into bereavement reactions following neonatal deaths gives disturbing evidence to the contrary, so while it may usually be good practice to encourage viewing, this may be potentially damaging to new parents who have lost a baby.