Navigating end of life before birth: the ethics of antenatal palliative care

Background to the research problem When parents face the devastating news during pregnancy that their baby is affected by a life-limiting condition they rely on health care professionals for advice and support. These families are now increasingly being offered antenatal (before birth) palliative care. However, there are a number of ethical challenges to providing antenatal palliative care and there has been very little research in this area. My approach My research aims to better understand the experiences of families in this situation and to examine the ethical considerations in providing antenatal palliative care. I will examine what is said to parents in consultations during pregnancy and conduct interviews with both parents and health care professionals to understand the challenges they face. Expected impact of my work My research findings will lead to recommendations for professionals who work in antenatal counselling in order to enable compassionate and supportive care for parents.