Life or death decisions in the NICU.
When, if ever, should we allow an extremely premature baby to die? The paper explains how that would be answered if we are guided by three reasonable assumptions. (1) The value a person's life has is primarily the value it has for that person, rather than a value it has in itself. (2) All competent persons have a right to decide for themselves whether their lives are to be prolonged. (3) Parents have a right to treat their children as they choose, so long as they neither abuse them nor neglect them.
Department of Philosophy, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA. Nrichards@bama.ua.edu
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D005066:Euthanasia, Passive / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000941:ethics*; D016743:Mental Competency; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000941:ethics*; D014481:United States