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The definition of palliative care

Palliative care (WHO definition, 2002): “Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients (and their families) facing a life-threatening condition, by preventing and alleviating suffering, through early identification and careful assessment and treatment of pain and other problems of a physical, psychosocial and spiritual nature."


The definition of palliative care

What is Pediatric Palliative Care?

As the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests, palliative care entails more than just caring for the physical aspects of the disease and treatment. The aim is to guarantee quality of life and death. The psychosocial, pedagogical/developmental and spiritual aspects of being ill are also part of this. In children with a life-threatening illness, these components are strongly connected. The pain that the patient feels is also experienced by his/her parents or relatives. The possible fear of dying has a lot of influence on decisions and ensures that people think about it a little less. That is why the healthcare provider involved, who often pays more attention to the physical aspects of the disease, must take all aspects into account. Palliative care is therefore an all-encompassing (holistic) approach that looks at the child, parent(s), family and cultural background simultaneously from multiple disciplines (multidisciplinary).

(source: NVK Guideline 'Palliative care for children', 2013)

Care focused on child and family

  • Pediatric palliative care (0-23 years ) is the care of children with a life-threatening or life-limiting condition .
  • The care includes physical, psychological, social, pedagogical and spiritual aspects.
  • There is an active look at 'the whole child', not just the medical aspects of the disease and the family is not forgotten either.
  • The care is intended to maintain the highest possible quality of life, and is mainly determined by the personal needs and possibilities of the child and the family.
  • Attention should be paid to palliative care from the moment the disease or condition is known.
  • Attention for children and families who sometimes go through life for years without a diagnosis (because it cannot be diagnosed), but still need palliative care.
  • Palliative care continues, despite changes in location, care providers and/or care perspective.
  • Good pediatric palliative care requires an organized, broad approach by a multidisciplinary team, of which the family is a part.

Palliative terminal care for children is part of pediatric palliative care. Terminal care is care around the end of life, if it is known that someone will die soon. It is important to pay attention to life, even if someone dies. Learning to deal as well as possible with the approaching end and the best possible completion of the child's life is a point of attention that must be present in the contacts between the child, family and the care providers involved. Aftercare is a very important part of this care.

Pediatric palliative care classification (based on EAPC, European Association for Palliative Care)
Pediatric palliative care is care for children who have a life-threatening or life-shortening condition.   There are four different categories.

  • Category 1: Children with a life-threatening condition for which a curative treatment exists, but possibly without a successful outcome (e.g. cancer and organ failure).
  • Category 2: Children with a life-threatening illness that may require long periods of intensive treatment (aimed at quality of life), in addition to periods of normal life participation (e.g. cystic fibrosis, severe gastrointestinal infections, severe immune deficiencies and muscular dystrophy).
  • Category 3: Children with progressive disease where treatment from diagnosis is pain-relieving and may last many years (e.g. some metabolic disorders such as Batten disease, Gaucher disease and metachromatic leukodystrophy, chromosomal disorders such as trisomy 13 and osteogenesis imperfecta).
  • Category 4: Children with disorders, often neurological in nature, which are usually not progressive, but still lead to serious abnormalities. These diseases pose a major threat to health due to an increased risk of complications (e.g. extreme prematurity, cerebral palsy and malformations of the brain).