Characteristics of bereaved resource parents and their children
| Bereaved resource parents (n=8) | |
| Gender | Five mothers, 3 fathers (two couples) |
| Level of education | 2 x high school |
| 6 x college/university | |
| Occupation | Science, engineering, public or retail management, law, education, healthcare, public service, home parent |
| First time parents | n=5 |
| Experienced multiple birth and discordant survival | n=4 |
| Age of parent at child’s death | Min: 28; max: 43 |
| Babies of bereaved resource parents hospitalised in NICU who died (n=9)* | |
| Year of birth/death of babies | 2005 to 2014 |
| Type of birth | 2 x triplets |
| 2 x twins | |
| 5 x singletons | |
| Gestational age (in weeks) | 1×39 weeks |
| 8 x less than 28 weeks | |
| Length of hospital stay before death (deaths all occurred in the NICU) | 1 x>3 months |
| 1×1–3 months | |
| 7x<1 month | |
| Number of babies who had surgery | 3 |
| Main diagnosis leading to death | 8 x complications associated with prematurity |
| 3 x necrotising enterocolitis | |
| 3 x sepsis | |
| 2 x pulmonary insufficiency | |
| 1 x congenital anomaly | |
*One participating parent lost two babies, which explains the difference in numbers (eight parents and nine babies)
NICU, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.