To mark WHPCD and Baby Loss Awareness Week, TwoWorldsCancer & ICPCN hosted a landmark webinar bringing together experts from obstetrics, foetal medicine, neonatology, paediatric palliative care, and Indian law. With over 250 registrations, the event highlighted the urgent need for interdisciplinary dialogue and awareness around perinatal palliative care.
Panelists discussed challenges in offering compassionate, family-centred care, including difficult decisions on intensive care vs. comfort care, birth planning after complex diagnoses, and consent frameworks. The discussion emphasised that families must be truly supported and empowered, not just informed, and that care should extend beyond hospitals to home and community settings.
A key takeaway was the need for clear national policies and legal guidance, as well as equitable access to palliative care across India, recognising this as both a medical and human rights issue. Experts also highlighted the importance of training healthcare professionals, raising public awareness, and fostering collaboration across disciplines to create meaningful change.
This webinar proved that change begins with conversation, and the next steps include courses, policy advocacy, and on-ground frameworks to ensure that perinatal palliative care is accessible, compassionate, and integrated into clinical practice for every family, everywhere. Together, we can build a system where no family faces loss alone and every baby’s dignity is honored.