Family-centered care and the anticipated death of a newborn.

Providing support for a family whose infant is expected to die requires planning and coordinated intervention by members of the health care team. From diagnosis until the death of the infant, the family's choices and needs must be integrated into an acceptable plan of care. The role of the health care team in this process includes four principal phases: planning for the baby's birth, preparing the siblings, caring for the baby, and supporting the family both at the time of the death and afterward. Specific strategies used by physicians, nurses, and child life specialists can encourage the family's full participation in the birth and death of the infant. A description of one family's experiences highlights implications for family-centered practice.