title: Rights of the newborn and end-of-life decisions.
abstract: Advances in perinatal medicine have dramatically improved neonatal survival. End-of-life decision making for newborns with adverse prognosis is an ethical challenge and the ethical issues are controversial. The newborn is a person with specific rights which he cannot claim, due to his physical and mental immaturity. These rights impose to the society obligations and responsibilities, which health professionals and institutions of all countries must enforce. Every newborn has the right to life with dignity. Providing compassionate family-centered end-of-life care to infants and their families in the NICU should be a mandatory component of an optimally neonatal palliative care.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, São João Hospital, Porto University, Porto, Portugal. herciliaguimaraes@gmail.com
authors.forename: Hercília
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellieni
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buonocore
mesh_terms: D003696:Delivery Rooms; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000941:ethics; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000941:ethics; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000941:ethics