title: Embracing bioethics in neonatal intensive care, part I: evolving toward neonatal evidence-based ethics.
abstract: Ethical treatment dilemmas are not new to the NICU. With technologic advances over the past 20 years, NICU care has developed rapidly, and survival rates have improved for some of the tiniest and most critically ill infants. In guiding clinical practice, however, standards in evidenced-based medicine have often superseded standards in evidence-based ethics. Part I of this article presents a historical review of neonatal care and an overview of cases that have set precedents in neonatal ethical debate. It also includes recommendations for enhancing the skills of neonatal nurses as patient advocates in NICU ethical issues, an area that is, at times, controversial and baffling to clinicians.
authors.affiliation: NICU Clinical Research and HRI Follow-Up, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Division of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1752, USA. ipurdy@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Isabell B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Purdy
mesh_terms: D001675:Bioethics / Q000266:history*; D003142:Communication / Q000266:history; D004993:Ethics, Nursing / Q000266:history*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000266:history; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000266:history*; D018447:Medical Futility; D016294:Models, Nursing; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000266:history*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000266:history; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000266:history; D010290:Parents; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing / Q000266:history; D028662:Principle-Based Ethics / Q000266:history; D012944:Social Support