title: Cultural sensitivity in paediatrics.
abstract: In a recent Journal of Medical Ethics article, 'Should Religious Beliefs Be Allowed to Stonewall a Secular Approach to Withdrawing and Withholding Treatment in Children?', Joe Brierley, Jim Linthicum and Andy Petros argue for rapid intervention in cases of futile life-sustaining treatment. In their experience, when discussions of futility are initiated with parents, parents often appeal to religion to 'stonewall' attempts to disconnect their children from life support. However, I will argue that the intervention that the authors propose is culturally insensitive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Walters State CommunityCollege, Morristown, TN 37813 USA. greg.bock@ws.edu
authors.forename: Gregory L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bock
mesh_terms: D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003469:Culture; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D018447:Medical Futility; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000941:ethics; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics*
keywords: Children; Clinical Ethics; Paediatrics