[Histonet] Releasing specimens to patients

[Cheryl]

Hi Amy-
   
  The 500 gram weight comes into play in some states, but you're in Texas (see other posting).  The easiest way to facilitate this is to treat this like any deceased patient and go through channels already in place.  The family has the right to claim the baby, but not the right to step over the laws of the state.  Since you have policies and contacts in place for full-sized decedents, just follow the policies and let the people who normally handle this take it back (nursing and pastoral care) to work with the family.  We're not trained to be in direct contact with grieving parents and it might open liabilities for your hospital.
   
  Most funeral homes are set up to handle this and it's not expensive.  They cannot bury a baby in the back yard...and there are other choices.  Let the professionals guide them (funeral directors)

"Garcia, Amanda" <Amanda.Garcia <@t> TriadHospitals.com> wrote:
  Hello everyone and thanks in advance for any input you all may have to
this question. Do any of you have a policy regarding the release of
fetuses to the family? We have a 12 week fetus that the family would
like to pick up and this hospital does not have a policy regarding this
issue. At a previous private pathology lab that I worked at we have a
policy stating that we could only release this to a funeral home. If
anyone has a policy and wouldn't mind sharing it with me it would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,
Amy

> Amanda (Amy) Garcia
> Histology/Pathology
> College Station Medical Center
> (979) 680-5372 office
> (979) 696-5446 fax
> *Mailto:amanda.garcia <@t> triadhospitals.com
> 
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