2025 National Paediatric Bioethics Conference: Talking with children about illness and dying

In this episode of Essential Ethics, recorded at the 2025 National Paediatric Bioethics Conference, Emeritus Professor Myra Bluebond-Langner and Professor Lynn Gillam explore the ethical importance of talking with children about serious illness and dying. Drawing on decades of research and clinical experience, they examine truth-telling, the changing role of parents, and how conversations can be centred on a child’s lived experience rather than age alone. Their presentations and discussion offer compassionate, practical insights into supporting children, families, and clinicians through some of healthcare’s most challenging conversations.