Debriefing the day after the death of a patient in a neonatal intensive-care unit helps not only to educate but also to heal staff members, according to two teams that do it routinely.

Their discussions serve to educate the full team on how medical decisions are made, how death is declared, when organ donation is possible or appropriate, and how to talk with families facing the end of their child’s life.

The occasion also serves as a ritual that allows team members to remember the baby, to reflect on the human implications of the end of any life and to share a lasting memory of the family or child.

It also gives doctors and other staff an opportunity to recognise their own emotions and to model coping skills for trainees so that they can provide more skilful, compassionate support to future patients and families in similar circumstances.