Legal opinion on position paper: withholding treatment.
We have reviewed carefully the position paper and wish to provide the Association with our opinion with respect to the legal implications involved. This is one paper which clearly supports the "right to life" of newly born retarded or mentally defective infants. In our opinion, this position is entirely within the law. However, the paper does raise a number of significant legal questions which we believe warrant consideration. It is our respectful opinion that a physician, when faced with a situation of parental choice to withhold treatment, should seek the guidance of the Court and only withhold treatment or administer treatment with the back-up of a Court order.
D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007409:Intestinal Atresia / Q000601:surgery; D033222:Judicial Role; D033282:Parental Consent; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011570:Psychiatry; D012955:Societies, Medical; D028761:Withholding Treatment