Resuscitation of the preterm infant against parental wishes
- 1Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
- 2Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- 3Leicester General Hospital, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK
- Correspondence to:
Professor Paris
Department of Theology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; john.parisbc.edu
- Accepted 18 January 2005
Abstract
Over the past 40 years, the norms on who is to make treatment decisions for newborns, and on what standards, have been significantly altered and revised. Today the standard for treatment of newborns is the “best interest” of the child. A recent ruling of the Texas Supreme Court authorising a doctor to resuscitate a potentially viable very premature newborn over the parents’ objection is a challenge to that standard.
Footnotes
-
Competing interests: none declared
