Ethical dilemmas abound in the neonatal intensive care unit as hour-to-hour life and death decisions are made for premature or compromised newborns. This book is a rich tapestry of parental perceptions woven from the many stories parents tell about their experiences with a baby in the unit, as well as major events after discharge related to the ethical decision making. When the Bough Breaks can serve as a supplementary text for a number of courses, including counseling, psychology, sociology, philosophy, theology, nursing, and allied health.