Offers information regarding management of loss in infancy, including the importance of routines, expectations regarding developmental regression, and care of adults who have also experienced the loss.
Just like older children, infants can react to losing a loved one, but they may show this reaction
differently. For example, infants' eating and sleeping may become disrupted after a loss, or they may become
more irritable, clingy, or even aggressive. This is a challenging time for infants and their families, who
may also have experienced a loss. Here are some suggestions for making this time easier:
Keep routines regular, and make sure your baby is being cared for by a regular,
familiar person as much as possible. Routines provide babies with a sense of things being normal and may help
them better recover from a loss.
Some babies may seem to "go backwards" in their development after losing a loved one.
For example, some babies may want to be held more; some may wake more frequently in the night; some
may wish to be fed instead of feeding themselves. Whenever possible, this behavior should just be accepted,
and your baby should be comforted.
If night waking is an issue, your baby may do better by sleeping with you or another trusted
person, if this is acceptable. Your baby can be weaned from co-sleeping later, when he or she has recovered
from the loss.
If you or other caregivers have also experienced a loss, it is important to care for yourself.
Get support from whomever you can, and ask for help when you need it. Your pediatric team can provide you
with counseling information if you feel this would be helpful.
