Table 1.
Overview of Dutch organizations involved in a child’s death, their protocols, guidelines and other working agreements included for analysis. In brackets the number of professionals who were approached to provide documents
| Organization | Title of document available for analysis | Description of the tasks/activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hospital department of pediatrics [10] | a. Dutch Association for Pediatrics-Action protocol after cot death | Procedures are aimed at determining the cause of death and avoiding false suspicion of parents |
| b. Death of a child (at emergency dept.) | Attention is paid to nearness to the dying child, spiritual care and aftercare for parents. Supporting parents is most important in this protocol | |
| c. Emergency baptism at an infant’s death | This protocol provides for an emergency baptism when a child is dying and the parents want their child baptized. Parents’ wishes are central | |
| d. Deceasing or dying | The aim is taking leave of the dying one and providing spiritual care | |
| e. Procedures for external cause of death | A few points of interests are briefly described, e.g., the execution of the autopsy and informing the family. It is hard to classify this protocol | |
| 2. General practice [1] | Dutch Association for Pediatrics—Action protocol after cot death (same as organization 1) | Procedures are aimed at determining the cause of death and avoiding false suspicion of parents |
| 3. Forensic medical service-part of the Municipal Health Service [2] | a. Work instruction ‘reporting deceased minors’ | According to a flowchart the municipal forensic physician draws a conclusion about the manner and cause of death |
| b. Guideline forensic postmortem examination | The protocol describes the responsibilities of the municipal forensic physician, what to determine (e.g., cause of death), who to inform about the death and how to report | |
| 4. Ambulance service [2] | National protocol ambulance care | The main aim of this guideline is providing for acute assistance. Some attention is paid to (determining) SUDI and to the grieving process |
| 5. Preventive child healthcare [1] | Guideline counseling families in child death | When a child dies Preventive Child Healthcare contacts the parents to console them and to inform them about aftercare regarding the grieving process |
| 6. Municipal health services [1] | a. Guideline counseling families in child death (same as organization 5) | When a child dies Preventive Child Healthcare contacts the parents to console them and inform them about aftercare regarding the grieving process |
| b. Protocol large-scale sexual abuse | This protocol could be used to prevent social tumult in the context of child mortality. Relief and assistance are part of it | |
| 7. Hospital social work [1] | Interview report | A memorial day for deceased children is organized in the hospital without guidelines, so no protocol could be analyzed |
| 8. General social work [1] | No usable protocols | The protocol retrieved was not aimed at child mortality |
| 9. Mental Health Trust [3] | a. Suicide and external cause of death | The main aim is informing the right professionals and organizations and reporting about the death. None of the four objectives is central; therefore, this protocol has not been classified |
| b. External cause of death in admitted patient inside of the clinic | Responsibilities of the professionals involved in the context of determining the cause of death and grief counseling are described | |
| c. External cause of death in admitted patient outside of the clinic | Responsibilities of the professionals involved in the context of determining the cause of death and grief counseling are described | |
| d. External cause of death in ambulatory patient outside of the clinic | Administrative tasks of the professionals involved aimed at determining the cause of death are central | |
| 10. MEE [1] | Interview report | This organization does not use protocols in case of child death |
| 11. Child Welfare Agency [1] | Guidelines death of a juvenile client | This protocol is a practical description of informing the right professionals and organizations. Some attention is paid to supporting the professionals involved and the family |
| 12. Child Protection Service [1] | Interview report | The protocol retrieved was not aimed at child mortality |
| 13. Police [1] | Interview report | Procedures are performed to determine cause of death |
| 14. Public prosecutor [1] | Interview report | Procedures are performed to determine cause of death |
| 15. School/daycare/playgroup [4] | Protocol in case of death | This protocol is a general guideline how to deal with practical aspects of providing information, organizational adjustments and grief counseling in case of a child’s death |
| 16. Perineda [1] | Local audit | Professionals analyze the provided care in a structured way to improve the quality of care. Getting insight in avoidable factors in perinatal deaths is important |
| 17. National Cot Death Study Groupa [1] | Dutch Cot Death Foundation | Professionals analyze the provided care in a structured way to investigate whether SIDS was the cause of death. Preventing SIDS and informing and advising parents are the main goals |
| 18. Dutch Cot Death Foundationa [1] | Interview report | This organization delivers evidence-based information for professionals and parents by means of a website |
| 19. Association for Parents of a Deceased Childa [2] | No protocols | No protocols retrieved because of no response |
| 20. Dutch Safety First Association [1] | Interview report | This organization focuses on developing interventions in the context of child mortality |
| 21. Consumer Safety Institutea [1] | Interview report | This organization focuses on developing interventions in the context of child mortality |
| 22. Dutch Safety Boarda [1] | Interview report | This organization focuses on developing interventions in the context of child mortality |
aOrganized on a national level