Clinical led articles for healthcare professionals
Explore our collection of clinical-led articles offering expert insights, research findings, and practical guidance on a variety of healthcare topics. Stay informed and empowered with evidence-based information from leading professionals in the field.
Learn more about our bereavement care study days and free online e-Learning to support your development at: cuddlecot.com/training
Clinical Research:
‘It was like an airbag, it cushioned the blow’: A multi-site qualitative study of bereaved parents’ experiences of using cooling facilities
Julia Hackett, Emily Heavey and Bryony Beresford
Abstract
Background: Evidence on the benefits to parents of spending time with their child in the hours after their death means this is now routine practice. UK children’s hospices offer parents the opportunity to extend this period by using cooling facilities (i.e. cooled ‘bedrooms’; cooling blankets/mattresses) to slow deterioration.
Aim: To explore parents’ experiences of using cooling facilities and beliefs about how it shaped experiences of the very early days of bereavement, and on-going grieving processes.
Methods: Multi-site study involving in-depth interviews with parents bereaved in the previous 3 years. Grief theories informed data analysis, which employed narrative and thematic approaches. Eight hospices supported recruitment.
Results: Twenty-two mothers and eight fathers were recruited, representing 25% of families approached. Duration of use of a cooling facility varied, as did the amount of time spent with the child. All parents treasured this period, valuing the way it eased separation from their child and gave some control over when this happened. They believed all bereaved parents should have the opportunity to use a cooling facility. Using a cooling facility supported parents’ engagement with grief tasks including acceptance of loss, processing emotional pain and facing changes to their lives brought about by their child’s death. Memories and mementoes created during this period served to support on-going connections with the child. Parents who used a cooling facility at a hospice reported benefits of the setting itself.
Conclusions: As well as easing the very early days of loss, use of cooling facilities may influence longer-term bereavement outcomes.
Further Clinical Research:
Healthcare professionals' perceptions and experiences of using a cold cot following the loss of a baby: a qualitative study in maternity and neonatal units in the UK
'Cold bedrooms' and other cooling facilities in UK children's hospices, how they are used and why they are offered: A mixed methods study
Bereaved parents' experiences of the use of 'cold bedrooms' following the death of their child
Bereavement Consultant Articles:
Cooling in the Context of Perinatal Bereavement Care
CuddleCot Statement on Cooling in the Context of Perinatal Bereavement Care The use of cooling devices within bereavement care is fundamentally parent-focused and aims to support families in spending valuable time with their baby following death. The emphasis should always remain on informed consent, compassionate communication, and shared decision-making, ensuring parents understand both the benefits…
Does Continual Cooling Matter After Baby Loss?
Discover why continual cooling after baby loss is essential for gentle, family led care. Learn how consistent cooling with CuddleCot supports comfort, memory making and trauma informed practice.
How Holistic Nursing and CuddleCot Support Families After Perinatal Loss
Perinatal loss is a deeply emotional experience for families. A 2025 study on holistic nursing care emphasizes that addressing the full spectrum of parents’ needs, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cultural, is key to supporting grieving families. For hospitals in the US, this research reinforces the importance of tools and protocols that empower families while providing compassionate care.
Saline Immersion: An alternative concept in bereavement photography
Neonatal Immersion Photography (NIP) is the practice of fully immersing an infant in water for the purposes of underwater photography after they have passed away
How to Support Bereaved Parents: A Guide for Friends and Family
If someone you love or care about has experienced a devastating loss such as the loss of a baby or child, often family, friends and colleagues want to offer support but may feel unsure about the best way to do so. You may feel worried about what to say or of saying the wrong thing…
Taking care of you
Self-care for Midwives and healthcare professionals caring for bereaved families Written by CuddleCot Bereavement Consultant Sian Ness Most midwives, obstetricians, and maternity support workers enter their profession to facilitate the start of a new life and care for families at a joyous time. Unfortunately, every day in the UK, fourteen babies die before, during, or…
A bereavement midwife’s perspective on the importance of offering families the option of cooling after loss
Step into the world of a bereavement midwife and discover the profound impact of offering families the option of cooling after loss. Siân Ness, RM, BSc (Hons), Winner of the RCM ‘Excellence in Bereavement Care’ Award 2021 “I have cared for numerous families whose baby’s have died either during pregnancy or shortly after birth. I…
The significance of time
By Gabriella Lake Walker – Bereavement Care Consultant Grief is a very individual thing. Its impact depends on many biopsychosocial factors, such as background, gender and age as well as your relationship with the person who has died. Parents who lose a child are at high risk of ‘complicated grief’, defined as grief that continues…
Supporting families during the experience of miscarriage
Miscarriage is sadly a common occurrence, affecting an estimated 20-25% of all pregnancies. It encompasses early pregnancy loss, which can occur through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or termination of pregnancy.
The Importance of language and sensitive communication
As health professionals we are in a privileged position to be providing bereavement care for families at a devastating and vulnerable time, the care we provide has a long lasting impact on the family…
Where to find our bereavement care training resources:
Face to face, Clinical led, baby loss bereavement care study days
Online Bereavement Care e-Learning accessible to any healthcare professional who plays a role in the care of bereaved families
Need more info about our training programs? Contact: info@cuddlecot.com
