Follow-up of families of neonates in whom life support was withdrawn.

Grieving patterns and psychosocial functioning were studied in 20 families who had participated in a decision-making conference regarding withdrawal of support of their newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit and for whom the life support had been withdrawn. Prolonged grieving was reported by one father and pathologic grieving by one grandmother. In the majority of families, grieving patterns and psychosocial functioning were similar to those of other families whose newborns have died.