Palliative Care

Learn about pediatric palliative care

Pediatric palliative care is an approach to care to provide comfort, relieve suffering, and improve the quality of life for children with serious illnesses. The palliative care team addresses you and your child’s unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They work closely with families and care providers to create a care plan that aligns with the child and family’s needs, values, and goals. Learn how the pediatric palliative care team can help.

Learn more about pain management

Measuring Pain in Children
Pediatric cancer patients may experience pain as a symptom of the disease or as a side effect of treatment. Learn how pain can be diagnosed in patients of different ages.
Managing Pain with Medicine
Your care team may use certain pain medicines to help treat your child’s pain. Learn about pain medications, how they are given, and questions to ask.
Managing Pain Without Medicine
Many pain management strategies do not involve medicine or can be used along with other methods. Learn how to help your child cope with pain without medication.
Needlestick Management Strategies for Parents
It’s not uncommon for children (or adults) to be uncomfortable getting a shot. There are steps you can take to help your child cope with nervousness about needle sticks.
Opioids
Opioids have an important role in treating some pain caused by cancer and certain cancer treatments. Parents may have concerns about their child becoming addicted.
Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA)
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is a method of pain relief that lets patients decide when to get a dose of pain medicine. They do this by pressing a button on the PCA pump.
TENS Unit for Pain Relief
A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit is a device that treats pain. It is small enough to hold in your hand. It comes with wires and pads that attach to the skin.

Other featured resources

Quality of Life for Children with Cancer Educational Series
Explore the Quality of Life for Children with Cancer booklets, an 8-module educational series for parents and caregivers to learn about pediatric palliative care.
End-of-Life Care
Planning for end-of-life care helps manage symptoms, make informed decisions, and focus on quality of life. Learn more about end-of-life care.
Symptoms and Side Effects
Managing symptoms and side effects are important to your child’s recovery and well-being. Learn more about symptoms and treatment side effects.
How to Help Your Preschool Child Cope with Death
Talking to your preschool-aged child about death can be difficult. These tips can help you support your child during a difficult time. Learn more.
How to Help Your School-Age Child Cope With Death
Talking to your school-age child about death can be difficult. These tips can help you support your child during a trying time. Learn more.
How to Help Your Teenager Cope with Death
Talking to your teenager about death can be hard, although they may have an understanding of it. Learn more about supporting your child after a loved one dies.