Resuscitation of the preterm infant against parental wishes

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. F208 - f210
• Main Authors: Paris, J J, Schreiber, M D, Elias-Jones, A
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01-05-2005; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Age; Babies; Bioethics; Blindness; Cerebral palsy; Decision Making; Dissent and Disputes - legislation & jurisprudence; emergent circumstances; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; Intellectual disabilities; Litigation; parental wishes; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Premature birth; preterm infant; resuscitation; Resuscitation Orders - legislation & jurisprudence; Review; State court decisions; Supreme Court decisions; Texas; Third-Party Consent - legislation & jurisprudence; Withholding Treatment - legislation & jurisprudence; Texas; United Kingdom > UK; Miller v. HCA, Inc; Death and Euthanasia; Health Care and Public Health; Legal Approach
• ISSN: 1359-2998; 1468-2052
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2004.063420

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.