Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

Upholding the identity of perinatal hospice

Journal of Perinatology volume 42, pages 505–506 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Recent legislature regarding perinatal hospice in upwards of eight states risks disguising compassionate intention for competent clinical services [1]. An example bill “mandates a physician diagnosing an unborn child with a lethal fetal anomaly must provide information about perinatal hospice services by offering services or referral” with requirement to give a written description of perinatal hospice and contact information [2]. Any group which self-identifies as a perinatal hospice program may ask the State’s Health and Human Service for inclusion on the website and family information sheet. Of the listed perinatal hospices in a midwestern state, one-third do not represent hospital-affiliated or accredited hospice agencies.

This legislation, likely to expand into additional states, raises concern about the integrity of the definition “perinatal hospice.” Applying an established programmatic and care coverage term in direct advertising to vulnerable families with medically- complex pregnancies risks direct harm in three domains: professional ills of sham services, disregard for patient autonomy, and undermining healthcare equity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Fiakus A, Choosing wisely. Wash Univ Law Rev. 2020;98:587–613.

    Google Scholar 

  2. The compassion and care for medically challenging pregnancies act, legislative bill 507. 2017. https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Perinatal-Hospice.aspx. Accessed 11 Mar 2021.

  3. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Bioethics and Committee on Hospital Care. Palliative care for children. Pediatrics 2000;106:351–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Wool C, Catlin A. Perinatal bereavement and palliative care offered throughout the healthcare system. Ann Palliat Med. 2019;8 Suppl 1:S22–S29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Leong Marc-Aurele K, Nelesen R. A five-year review of referrals for perinatal palliative care. J Palliat Med. 2013;16:1232–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

MW contributed to this paper in a private capacity. No official support or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is intended, nor should be inferred.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Meaghann S. Weaver

  2. National Center for Ethics in Healthcare, Washington, DC, USA

    Meaghann S. Weaver

  3. Division of Perinatal-Neonatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Renee Boss

  4. Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Renee Boss

Authors
  1. Meaghann S. Weaver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Renee Boss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MW and RB conceptualized the paper content, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors approve the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meaghann S. Weaver.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Weaver, M.S., Boss, R. Upholding the identity of perinatal hospice. J Perinatol 42, 505–506 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01135-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01135-1

Search

Advanced search

Quick links