do Premature Babies that die have a funeral

when a newborn baby dies you can understand that it can have a funeral, but when a premature baby dies you may be wondering what happens because it may be born way too soon or weighing a very low birth weight.

today we look at premature baby funerals

there can be many reasons first of all that a premature baby may need a funeral service. being delivered  very premature less than the viability of babies. this can be because baby was born alive but delivered less than 22 weeks gestation comfort care is given for these very early babies until they pass away naturally in mothers arms.. The usual gestation age for premature babies able to survive is at 24 weeks but on many occasions babies have been known to survive delivered at 22 weeks. each hospital as its own policy for trying to keep these tiny babies alive. if a premature baby hasn’t completed 24 weeks gestation in the UK it will not be given a death certificate. It can still have a funeral though,done privately that the family organises or one that the hospital organises with other babies, usually they share a grave or plot but it cannot be privatised with your baby’s owns personal grave stone ornaments etc

a premature baby can be doing well but gets an infection and doesn’t recover from it. if it dies even at 26 -30 weeks it can have a funeral service.

premature babies born at 24 weeks can be on a ventilator on cpap but if a severe brain bleed occurs it may be that baby dies and will then have a funeral service it will get a death certificate..

premature baby born over 28 weeks gestation can have care in the Nicu and have a relapse, if the consultant feels baby is not going to get better with treatment palliative care will be offered so baby can pass away peacefully surrounded by family, this baby can then have a funeral service too.

when a premature baby has palliative care all intensive care treatment is stopped. it means baby can be forever asleep and the family can then get to wash dress, hold baby, sing to baby make memories by taking photographs hand and foot prints before baby goes to the undertakers for the funeral service.

what happens to baby at the undertakes before the funeral.

in premature babies due to tiny veins structure they arn’t usually embalmed. baby is kept cold and in its little burial casket chosen by the family, baby can also go in a cold cot, or moses basket if the family feels its to harsh to go directly into a coffin or burial casket.

if the family want to, by looking on the internet there are many funeral suppliers that make tiny baskets which don’t look like coffins. these are often made out of wicker or willow environmentally friendly too.

if the family decide to have a premature baby cremated instead of a burial service there are wooden ashes caskets available in tiny sizes,normal newborn baby ones are way too big premature babies need a smaller one to hold the very small amount of ashes that’s created instead.