title: Health care management of children with cognitive and physical disabilities: to treat or not to treat.
abstract: Advanced medical technology has provided life support and maintenance for high risk infants. In dramatically increasing numbers, children surviving aggressive intervention as neonates and infants suffer from varying degrees of physical and mental disability. Once these children are stable and grow older difficult medical intervention decisions need to be made. As nurses, we are often in situations involving difficult treatment decisions made by the family and health care team. We need to be aware of our personal beliefs and ethical principles to effectively support family members and participate in decision making. Ethical principles serve as a guide to the decision making process.
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Epilepsy Group, St. Paul 55102, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mims
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crisham
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000451:nursing*; D008297:Male; D018447:Medical Futility; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D011368:Professional-Family Relations