children s health issues
Illness and Death in Infants
Introduction
The medical needs of Preterm (Premature) Newborns or of infants who are ill often require that they be separated from their parents temporarily, and the opportunity for parents to interact with their infant is often sharply limited by their medical needs. In addition, parents are usually emotionally distressed by their infant's condition. It is easy for parents to feel helpless at a time when they are needed most. Separation and parental distress can reinforce feelings of inadequacy or guilt, particularly in severely ill infants who are hospitalized for a long time. (See also 