Treatment of extremely preterm infants: parents' attitudes.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a survey of the attitude towards treatment of extremely preterm infants by comparing the attitude towards life-saving treatment between a group of parents of extremely preterm children and parents in the general population. The importance the two groups of respondents assigned to parental preferences was also investigated.


METHODS
A Danish national cohort of children born from 1994 to 1995 with a birthweight below 1000 g or a gestational age below 28 wk were assessed in a 5-y follow-up study including a reference group of children born at term. The parents of the children were given a sequence of case vignettes presenting different clinical situations, which formed part of a questionnaire.


RESULTS
More than 80% of 222 possible index respondents and 76 possible reference respondents fulfilled the vignettes. Both groups of respondents were positive towards life-saving treatment of extremely preterm infants. The recommendations given by both groups were significantly influenced by the hypothetical child's risk of having a serious handicap and the parents' preferences. The results suggest that parents of extremely preterm children do not have a more conservative attitude towards life-saving treatment of extremely preterm infants than parents in the general population, and also support the view that parents' preferences should influence treatment decisions; although many believe that these should not be decisive.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to the general population, parents of children born extremely preterm did not express a more conservative attitude towards life-saving treatment of extremely preterm infants.
Mølholm Hansen
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Department of Neonatology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. moelholm@dadlnet.dk
Hoff
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B
Greisen
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G
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires