Grief and children

Children can be deeply affected when a baby dies. Toddlers and young children may be quick to sense changes in the people who are close to them, even if they are too young to understand what has happened. This can make some children feel anxious and insecure. They may behave badly which can be extremely hard for distressed parents to deal with.

Parents of older children may be unsure how to talk to them about the baby’s death, how much to involve them, and whether they should or should not attend the funeral. If you have other children, you may want to read the Sands leaflet About the other children. Sands also has a number of books that parents can read with their children to help them discuss what has happened and how they feel.