Introduction: Infanticide is the deliberate killing of infants or children committed by parents, most commonly by the mother. It is one of the most vicious acts a mother or a woman can perform. Definitions of the term ‘infanticide’ vary depending on the age of the child and the mother's reasons for committing infanticide. Aim: The aim of the thesis is to present infanticide, tackle the issue of persons who commit infanticide, and explore the role of nurses. Methods: The thesis is based on a review of Slovene and foreign scientific and technical literature concerning the subject of infanticide and nurses. Only articles available in full-text were used. Scientific and technical articles were obtained via remote access to Digital Library of University of Ljubljana – DiKUL. Discussion and conclusion: Reasons for infanticide have differed through time. Nowadays, infanticide occurs due to mental disorders and psychosocial factors. In the past, only social factors were taken into account as there were no available research studies and deep understanding of mental states and disorders. The role of nurses is important on all levels of health education. Their job is to raise awareness among women, especially young girls on safe sex and the consequences of unprotected sex. In case of infanticide, nurses provide professional care, help, compassion and support to women. Cases of infanticide committed by parents have been present throughout history. The object of infanticide is a child incapable of life without parents. A woman has internal motives for infanticide – emotional distress, social or financial reasons. The key role of nurses is to provide psycho-physical support to mothers and raise their awareness.
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