Table 5.

Recommendations reported by parents per type of support

Type of support	Recommendations
Emotional	Create possibility to share grief and experiences and get support not only after the death of a child but in the next pregnancy as well [1] [year of death 1986] [realized by the Care of Next Infant program (CONI)]
	Close relatives or friends should let the parents know that support could be provided anytime [1] [year of death 2005]
	Professionals should realise that parents want to hold and cuddle their deceased child [1] [year of death 2005]
	A physician (e.g., the GP), midwife or social worker should offer a consultation 6-12 months after the death of a child to check whether there are questions or whether parents need support [3] [year of death 2005, 2011, 2012]
	The GP or Preventive Child Health nurse should contact (phone, home visit) parents as a ‘safety net’ [1] [year of death 2012] several times after the death of their child to pay attention to the loss, listen to them [4] [year of death 2000, 2010] and signal problems in the grieving process at a very early stage [1] [year of death 2010]
	A hospital professional, like the gynaecologist or nurse, should contact parents uninvited to evaluate [2] [year of death 2008, 2012]
	Professionals should take into account the mental situation of the mother when she gives birth to a deceased child [1] [year of death 2012]
Instrumental	The GP should offer support and discuss his/her options for giving after care shortly after the death of a child [3] [year of death 1985, 1997, 2000]
	Professionals should structurally draw the parents’ attention to contact with fellow sufferers [2] [year of death 2005][still does not happen always]
	Support should be offered repeatedly by a professional from the hospital, midwife, preventive child health care professional or GP, especially when support from social network has stopped [2] [year of death 2005, 2012]
	Hospitals should organise a memorial service for all deceased children [1] [year of death 2008][happens in many hospitals, nowadays]
	Offer a form of maternity care once a week for 6 to 12 months [1] or help in the household for 1 year after the death of a child, to be reimbursed by the insurance company[1] [year of death 2011]
Informational	Professionals should draw parents’ attention to books, websites, documents [3] [year of death 1997, 2005]. A brochure that contains different kinds of support with contact information of professionals should be offered as a standard procedure shortly after the death of a child [1] [year of death 2010]
	The undertaker should provide parents with information about options for a funeral or cremation, including examples of grave covers and sample texts for cards [2] [year of death 1997, 2005][Is realized nowadays]
Unspecified	Lay down rules for bereavement leave for the duration that is needed [1] [year of death 2011]
	The hospital should offer a return visit to the department of the hospital where the child is born to speak the nursing staff [1] [year of death 2012]