Breaking bad news and supporting a bereaved family after a SUDI — communication OSCE

Communication OSCE station: breaking the news of an unexpected infant death to the parents using SPIKES, offering family time and memory-making, explaining the coronial and multi-agency process, and arranging bereavement follow-up.

communication and bereavement support station3 min readVerification in progress

Prompt

A 14-week-old previously well infant has been brought to the emergency department after being found not breathing in a cot at home. Resuscitation has just been ceased. You are the paediatric registrar. The parents, Ms A and Mr B, are in the family room and have not yet been told the outcome. The examiner asks you to break the news, support the family, and explain what happens next.

Candidate brief

This is an unexpected death of an infant under one year — a SUDI. The death was sudden, of unknown cause, and not anticipated. Your task in this station is to break the news to the parents with compassion and clarity, offer family time and memory-making, and explain the coronial and multi-agency process without overwhelming them. Remember the two operational rules you must not break: do not certify this death, and report it to the coroner.[2][3]

Paediatrics Fellowship Pro

You have read the opening of this case. The complete unit — every section and its primary-source references — is part of the Paediatrics Fellowship fellowship atlas.

References6Show ledger

[1]Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I, et al. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics, 2022.PMID 35726558
[2]Jeffery HE, Carberry AE, Gordon A, et al. The investigation of sudden unexpected deaths in infancy in Australia. Med J Aust, 2023.PMID 36653164
[3]Fitzgerald DA, Jeffery H, Arbuckle S, et al. Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy [SUDI]: What the clinician, pathologist, coroner and researchers want to know. Paediatr Respir Rev, 2022.PMID 34998675
[5]Spinelli J, Collins-Praino L, Van Den Heuvel C, et al. Evolution and significance of the triple risk model in sudden infant death syndrome. J Paediatr Child Health, 2017.PMID 28028890
[7]October T, Dryden-Palmer K, Copnell B, et al. Caring for Parents After the Death of a Child. Pediatr Crit Care Med, 2018.PMID 30080812
[10]Thornton R, Nicholson P, Harms L. Scoping Review of Memory Making in Bereavement Care for Parents After the Death of a Newborn. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs, 2019.PMID 30946804