Legal protection or legal threat? Ethical conflicts in the process of medical decision making.
Children have a fundamental right to good health care. It seems natural that they should be treated according to their age and intellectual capacity. However, this is more complicated than it seems at first and causes ethical conflicts. This article discusses whether Dutch and European law can solve these ethical conflicts and points out that solutions are not always to be found through legal interference, which may lead to judicial paternalism.
Blondeau
M J
MJ
University Hospital Rotterdam, Netherlands.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents; D016312:Treatment Refusal