Consent to autopsy for neonates
H E McHaffiea, P W Fowlieb, R Humec, I A Laingd, D J Lloyde, A J Lyond
a Medical
Ethics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, b Ninewells Hospital and Medical School,
Dundee, Scotland, UK, c Department of Developmental Medicine, University
of Dundee, d Simpson
Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh, e Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Aberdeen,
Scotland, UK
Correspondence to: Dr McHaffie, 12 Mayburn Terrace, Loanhead, Midlothian EH20 9EJ, Scotland, UK hazel{at}mchaffie.f9.co.uk
Accepted 13 December
2000
OBJECTIVES
To
determine parents' views on autopsy after treatment withdrawal.
DESIGNFace to face
interviews with 59 sets of bereaved parents (108 individual parents)
for whose 62 babies there had been discussion of treatment withdrawal.
RESULTSAll except one
couple were asked for permission for postmortem examination; 38%
refused. The main reasons for declining were concerns about
disfigurement, a wish to have the child left in peace, and a feeling
that an autopsy was unnecessary because the parents had no unanswered
questions. The diagnosis, the age of the child, and the approach of the
consultant appeared to influence consent rates. Of those who agreed to
autopsies, 92% were given the results by the neonatologist concerned.
Whether or not they had agreed to the procedure, at 13 months no parent
expressed regrets about their decision.
CONCLUSIONSAutopsy
rates in the East of Scotland stand at 62%. Parents' perceptions are
an important element in consent to postmortem examination.
Keywords: autopsy; withdrawal of treatment; consent
© 2001 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
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