Cartoons, movies, television, video games, and even books are filled with images of death. The child with a terminal condition has, most likely, previously experienced death by loss of a family member, friend, or pet. An adult's misconceptions and fear about death are often transferred to their children. Treating death as a part of life is difficult, but may help alleviate some of the fear and confusion associated with it. Dealing with death must be done within the cultural beliefs and mores of the family.
Developmental age is a broad term used to describe the maturity of thought process development.
Children may be more or less mature in their thinking and processing information, than others, at a similar age. Infant For an infant, death has no real concept. An infant that is terminally ill will require as much care, physically and emotionally, to maintain a comfortable environment as any age group. Because infants cannot verbally communicate their needs, fear is often expressed by crying. They may receive the most anxiety from the emotions of those around them.