Legal aspects of the withholding and withdrawing of intensive care in extremely premature infants.
Extremely premature infants--i.e. infants born at less than 27 weeks gestation--often face a grim prognosis. Hence, the question arises whether they should always be given intensive care and who should be the one deciding about that. This article explores these issues and starts from empirical data on the outcome of extremely premature infants to develop a legal framework. Throughout international literature, it seems there is a consensus that intensive care should not be given at a gestational age of less than 23 weeks, but should principally always be started from 25 weeks gestation on. Within the so-called grey zone (i.e. at 23 - 24 weeks gestation) however, different approaches are defended. Only the start- and revaluate approach is ethically and legally justified. When it comes to deciding about the treatment course of the infant, parents should be the final decision-maker as they have to live with the consequences of the decision.
Delbeke
Evelien
E
University of Antwerp.
D003422:Critical Care; D003657:Decision Making; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*