Spiritual care for sick children of five world faiths

The holistic care of those with a specific religious faith and those with a spiritual belief is important for good family-centred care. Within a busy clinical setting an important aspect of spiritual care is enabling participation in religious observance, where desired. Children's nurses, midwives and hospital chaplains are instrumental in striving to ensure that both a suitable environment and appropriate spiritual support are offered. According to data from the 2001 census for England, Wales and Scotland, the most common religious affiliations after Christianity are Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist. This article considers the rites, rituals or ceremonies for each of these religions which are deemed both necessary and helpful after birth or when a child is sick or dying.