This unique book considers the specific medical, psycho-social, and practical issues involved in caring for children dying from chronic diseases. Ann Goldman, herself a consultant paediatrician in palliative care at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, recognizes the special needs of terminally ill children and their families. She confronts the problems and issues surrounding the care of these children in order to help paediatricians and other professionals provide the very best possible care for such patients. A range of contributors experienced in palliative care for children provide comprehensive coverage of the subject, including: consideration of the magnitude of the problem and the provision of services, pain control symptom management, family support and communication with children, spiritual issues, bereavement, stress. This practical, interdisciplinary approach to the specific needs of children with terminal diseases will be invaluable for every professional who wishes to enhance standards of care for dying children and their families.
