Final answer:
Preschoolers can react to a sibling's hospitalization in various ways, including behavioral changes and regression. It's essential to provide them with consistent support and age-appropriate explanations, maintaining routines where possible and reassuring them about the situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
A mother's concern about how a preschool-aged sibling will react to the hospitalization of their dying infant is a situation that requires sensitive handling. Preschoolers are still developing their understanding of the world and may not fully grasp the concept of death or the finality it represents. However, they can sense changes in their environment and may react to stress in the family. The preschooler is likely to exhibit behavioral changes due to the disruption of normal routines and the emotional climate in the household.
Depending on the preschooler's temperament and the family dynamics, reactions may vary from withdrawal and silence to acting out or regression in behaviors, such as clinging, bedwetting, or asking repetitive questions. It is important for caregivers to provide consistent, loving support and age-appropriate explanations about what is happening. The nurse might suggest that the family engage in open communication, maintain routines as much as possible, and offer reassurance to the preschooler.
Given that children form attachments to their caregivers and may experience anxiety when separated from them, as indicated in the reference provided about attachment and separation anxiety, it is crucial for the mother to understand these reactions are normal and can be mitigated with compassion and care.