Publication
Cultural and Spiritual Approaches to Infant Death in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review
Cuartero-CastaÑEr M, Ribot M, Morcillo V, Gelabert S · Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala · 2025
Supporting families coping with the loss of a child is a challenge in an increasingly culturally diverse world. This systematic review, conducted using the PRISMA methodology and covering the period from 2018 to 2022, analyzed 30 articles identifi ed in Web of Science and Scopus to examine how cultural and spiritual beliefs shape the experience of pediatric palliative care. The results were organised into three thematic blocks: Islamic culture, Asian culture and a general category on cultural infl uence. In Islamic culture, acceptance of death as divine will and religious rituals off er comfort and meaning, although they can create tensions with clinical practice. In the Asian context, the centrality of the family, familism and rituals play a crucial role, although taboos surrounding infant death persist. In the general category, the diffi culties faced by professionals in integrating the spiritual and cultural dimensions are evident, highlighting the need for specifi c training to provide culturally competent care. Across the board, the fi ndings confi rm that spirituality acts as a protective factor, although a lack of sensitivity to family beliefs can increase suff ering. The conclusion is that there is a need to expand research to underrepresented cultural contexts and to develop guidelines to assist professionals in providing comprehensive and compassionate care for children and adolescents in palliative care.
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.