Although there are known disparities in neonatal and perinatal deaths across cultural groups, less is
known about how cultural diversity impacts neonatal palliative care. This paper critically reviews
available literature and sets out key questions that need to be addressed in order to enhance
neonatal palliative care provision ...
Although there are known disparities in neonatal and perinatal deaths across cultural groups, less is
known about how cultural diversity impacts neonatal palliative care. This paper critically reviews
available literature and sets out key questions that need to be addressed in order to enhance
neonatal palliative care provision for culturally diverse families. We begin by critically reviewing the
challenges to recording, categorising, and understanding data which need to be addressed to enable
a true reflection of the health disparities in neonatal mortality. We then consider whose voices
frame the current neonatal palliative care agenda, and, importantly, whose perspectives are missing;
what this means in terms of limiting current understanding; and how the inclusion of diverse
perspectives can potentially help address current inequities in service provision. Utilising these
insights, we make recommendations towards setting a research agenda, including key areas for
future enquiry and methodological and practice-based considerations.
