[The impact of a child's death on the family]

The death of a child has major repercussions on the family system. To develop a reference framework for intervention by health care professionals, the authors describe their research on Quebec families who have lost a child. Semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were used to gather data from families who had experienced the death of a child up to age 18 during the past six years. The final sample consisted of 76 participants. Analysis of the data highlights the impact of the death on the family's functioning and structure. Adjustment to the absence of the deceased member is a major cause of stress that effectively redefines the role of every family member. Their social network undergoes transformations and family members experience a period of great emotional vulnerability. The authors believe that specific, structured and appropriate support can make the difference between an extended period of psychosocial distress or greater family cohesion. Thus, a nurse who wishes to intervene with families in mourning following a perinatal death, a sudden death or an anticipated death, can use the intervention plan the authors developed for this purpose.