[Paediatric palliative care in Denmark should be strengthened]

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Bodil Abild Jespersen1, Niels Clausen, Per Sjøgren

  • 1Det Palliative Team, Onkologisk Afdeling D, Aarhus Universitetshospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus C.

Ugeskrift for Laeger
|October 9, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Paediatric palliative care supports children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Early planning ensures care aligns with family preferences, ideally at home.

Area of Science:

  • Palliative Care
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Paediatric palliative care encompasses holistic support for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.
  • It requires an interdisciplinary team approach, starting from diagnosis.
  • In Denmark, 295 children under 16 died in 2013, with a significant proportion being infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the importance of paediatric palliative care.
  • To emphasize the benefits of early planning in palliative care.
  • To advocate for home-based end-of-life care when preferred by families.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a descriptive analysis of paediatric end-of-life care in Denmark.
  • Data from 2013 mortality statistics for children under 16 were reviewed.
  • The study discusses the principles and benefits of integrated home-care services.

Main Results:

  • Most children and families prefer to die at home.
  • Early planning facilitates better integration of home-care services.
  • Planning ensures end-of-life care occurs in the preferred setting for the child and family.

Conclusions:

  • Paediatric palliative care is crucial for children facing life-threatening illnesses.
  • Early planning is essential for effective home-based end-of-life care.
  • Supporting family preferences for place of death is a key component of quality palliative care.

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