[Ethical dilemmas in the perinatal period: guidelines for end-of-life decisions].
According to several recent surveys, around 50% of the deaths occurring nowadays in French neonatal intensive care units result from a medical decision. This has led French neonatologists to set up guidelines for end-of-life decisions and practice in the perinatal period, which are presented in this paper. It covers definitions, clinical situations, ethical principles, obligations of the medical and nursing staff, and specific conditions where dilemmas occur.
Dehan
M
M
Service de pédiatrie et réanimation néonatales, hôpital Antoine-Béclère, 157, rue de la Porte-de-Trivaux, 92141 Clamart, France. michel.dehan@abc.ap-hop-paris.fr
Gold
F
F
Grassin
M
M
Janaud
J C
JC
Morisot
C
C
Ropert
J C
JC
Siméoni
U
U
D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D009359:Neonatology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013727:Terminal Care