ABSTRACT
After being the centre of attention while their critically ill and dying baby was in the Unit, it could be something of an anticlimax for parents to go home to a community which had not shared this profound and traumatic experience. Many families expressed their eagerness to meet up again with people who had known them and the baby during this time. In two cases no appointment had been offered. One of these couples concluded that they had fallen between two stools - being looked after by a local hospital and the study centre - and they assumed that each thought the other had taken on responsibility for follow-up, but in reality neither had done so. In total, 54 of the 59 sets of parents (92%) did attend a follow-up appointment at some point. In order to avoid distorting the figures, percentage values are given for 59 families unless otherwise specified.
