Appropriately grown baby with multiple congenital abnormalities: a case report.
We present the case of a full-term baby girl (Baby A) born with multiple congenital abnormalities that were suggested by prenatal scans. The mother had declined further antenatal diagnostic testing. Postnatal chromosomal analyses revealed the karyotype of the baby to be trisomy 18. After detailed, compassionate discussions with the parents, it was decided to provide palliative care in the best interest of the baby, who died on day 15 of life. This case illustrates ethical difficulties in the care of neonates with congenital anomalies with poor prognoses, such as trisomy 18. Recommending palliative care and "do not resuscitate" orders to optimistic parents is extremely difficult and needs to be done in the most sensitive manner possible.
Thakkar
Devangi
D
Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom. devangi_22@hotmail.com
Aladangady
Narendra
N
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000941:ethics* / Q000523:psychology