Palliative care for children

Palliative care for children represents a special, albeit closely related field to adult palliative care. WHO’s definition of palliative care appropriate for children and their families is as follows; the principles apply to other paediatric chronic disorders (WHO; 1998a):

• Palliative care for children is the active total care of the child's body, mind and spirit, and also involves giving support to the family.
• It begins when illness is diagnosed, and continues regardless of whether or not a child receives treatment directed at the disease.
• Health providers must evaluate and alleviate a child's physical, psychological, and social distress.
• Effective palliative care requires a broad multidisciplinary approach that includes the family and makes use of available community resources; it can be successfully implemented even if resources are limited.
• It can be provided in tertiary care facilities, in community health centres and even in children's homes.

Which children need palliative care?

All children with life threatening or life limiting conditions. That means healthy problems which may prevent the child reaching adulthood. These include:

• Cancer & leukaemia
• HIV
• Severe congenital malformations e.g. cerebral palsy, heart conditions,
• Severe cerebral palsy
• Severe malnutrition
• Rare genetic conditions