Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40003311›Full record

ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2025

"I Wish No Child Died Like This": Analyzing Responses from Parents of Babies Who Died of Complex Congenital Heart Disease in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Francesca Benedetti, Viviana Verzeletti, Simonetta Papa, Luca Giacomelli, Caterina Agosto

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Japanese Version of the Quality of Dying and Death in the PICU Instrument: Development and Validation in Eight Centers in Japan.Pediatric critical care medicine : a journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Francesca BenedettiDepartment of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, 35129 Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8701-2279
Viviana VerzelettiPolistudium SRL, 20121 Milan, Italy.
Simonetta PapaPolistudium SRL, 20121 Milan, Italy.
Luca GiacomelliPolistudium SRL, 20121 Milan, Italy.
Caterina AgostoDepartment of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, 35129 Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0584-8871

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe death of a child due to complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) in pediatric intensive care units profoundly affects families, often resulting in lasting grief and emotional distress. Despite advancements in pediatric palliative care (PPC), significant gaps persist in communication and end-of-life (EoL) planning. This study explores the experiences and perceptions of bereaved parents to identify areas for improvement in PPC delivery.

methodsA qualitative phenomenological design was used to analyze the lived experiences of 18 bereaved parents whose children died from CCHD at a tertiary cardiac center. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, incorporating five open-ended questions. Data were analyzed inductively using Colaizzi's method to identify recurring themes and subthemes.

resultsFour key thematic areas emerged: communication issues, the parental role, child care, and bereavement support. Parents highlighted inconsistent communication, lack of preparedness for EoL decisions, and emotional isolation as major challenges. Positive experiences often involved compassionate healthcare providers and structured psychological support. A significant proportion of parents identified family support and faith as key coping mechanisms, while others expressed dissatisfaction with post-mortem follow-up and the absence of long-term bereavement care.

conclusionsBereaved parents' experiences underscore the need for improved communication strategies, greater parental involvement in care, and enhanced bereavement support. Integrating structured decision-making pathways early in the care trajectory may help mitigate parental distress and improve the quality of EoL experiences for children with CCHD.

Indexed as

bereavementcongenital heart diseaseend-of-life carepediatric palliative carequalitative studyquality of dying and death

Identifiers

PMID40003311
PMCPMC11854154

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.