Stillbirth & Neonatal Death: Germany Sees Lack of Support for Parents

For many expectant parents, the arrival of a new child is a time of immense joy. However, when serious complications arise during pregnancy or a life-limiting illness is diagnosed in an unborn child, that joy can quickly turn to heartbreak. Approximately 1,600 children in Germany die each year shortly before, during, or within four weeks of birth.

The Gap in Support for Families

A palliativе medicinе specialist has voiced concerns that parents facing the prospect of losing a child often do not receive adequate support. Lars Garten, a pediatrician and palliative medicine physician, highlights a significant gap in care, particularly regarding professional psychosocial support during pregnancy and subsequent bereavement counseling.

Did You Know? The Charité hospital in Berlin currently cares for up to 40 newborns annually who have incurable, life-limiting conditions and are expected to die within days or weeks of birth.

This lack of funding impacts perinatal centres specializing in premature infants, limiting their ability to offer comprehensive services to families in need. Dr. Garten, medical director of the palliative care team at the Perinatal centre of the Charité in Berlin, emphasizes the importance of neutral counseling during pregnancy, presenting both the option of continuing the pregnancy and termination, outlining the consequences of each choice.

Challenges Faced by Clinics

Dr. Garten’s team, which includes midwives and chaplains, provides support to parents during and after the birth of a severely ill child, as well as after the child’s death. The Charité accepts families who desire a palliatively supported birth, even if it increases the clinic’s neonatal mortality rate. “Many clinics do not like a high mortality rate because they fear appearing worse in the public eye,” Dr. Garten stated. He further explained that statistics do not differentiate between deaths resulting from poor medical care and deaths following a palliative birth.

Expert Insight: The reluctance of some clinics to embrace palliative care options, even when desired by families, underscores the complex interplay between medical statistics, public perception and the ethical imperative to provide compassionate care.

Dr. Garten founded the first nationwide palliative care team for neonatology at the Charité in 2014, collaborating with colleagues in psychosocial parental counseling and nursing. He and Kerstin von der Hude have also co-authored a textbook on the subject, reflecting growing demand for expertise in this area. He is frequently invited to speak at conferences and workshops, which are consistently fully booked.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the approximate number of infant deaths occurring in Germany each year?

Around 1,600 children in Germany die each year shortly before, during, or up to four weeks after birth.

What is the role of a perinatal centre in this context?

Perinatal centres specializing in premature infants are often limited in their ability to offer comprehensive psychosocial support and bereavement counseling due to a lack of funding.

What is the Charité hospital’s approach to palliative care?

The Charité accepts families who wish to pursue a palliatively supported birth, even if it increases the clinic’s neonatal mortality rate.

As awareness of the need for perinatal palliative care grows, will more hospitals and clinics prioritize providing comprehensive support to families facing the unimaginable loss of a child?