[Parents' experiences with life-and-death decisions concerning their premature infants].
BACKGROUND
The study is concerned with parents' experience with life-and-death decisions concerning their premature infants in hospitals neonatal units. What are parents' attitudes towards their being involved in such decision-making?


METHODS
During the 1997-2000 period, 20 qualitative interviews with 35 parents of 26 children were made. A qualitative, comparative method (grounded theory) was used for the analysis, which was carried out in parallel with data collection.


RESULTS
Parents are exposed to great mental pressure, which may bring about a sense of ambivalence and a wish to avoid responsibility. Most parents do not wish to have the final word in decisions concerning their infant's life or death. Such a responsibility is likely to make parents feel guilty and puts too heavy a burden on the parents, but parents wish to be informed and taken seriously in the decision making-process.


CONCLUSIONS
Parents value health professionals' communication and information more than parent autonomy and right to choose.
Brinchmann
Berit Støre
BS
Senter for medisinsk etikk Universitetet i Oslo Postboks 1130 Blindern 0318 Oslo. berit.stoere.brinchmann@hibo.no
Førde
Reidun
R
Nortvedt
Per
P
D001293:Attitude to Death; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics