title: End-of-life decisions in perinatal care: A view from health-care providers in Mexico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the opinions of a perinatal health team regarding decisions related to late termination of pregnancy and severely ill newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous questionnaire was administered to physicians, social workers, and nurses in perinatal care. Differences were evaluated using the chi square and Student's t tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When considering severely ill fetuses and newborns, 82% and 93% of participants, respectively, opted for providing palliative care, whereas 18% considered feticide as an alternative. Those who opted for palliative care aimed to diminish suffering and those who opted for intensive care intended to protect life or sanctity of life. There was poor knowledge about the laws that regulate these decisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there is no consensus on what decisions should be taken with severely ill fetuses or neonates, most participants considered palliative care as the first option, but feticide or induced neonatal death was not ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, México, Distrito Federal, México.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grether
authors.affiliation: Colegio de Bioética, México, DF, México.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lisker
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México, Distrito Federal, México.
authors.forename: Alvar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loria
authors.affiliation: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, Distrito Federal, México.
authors.forename: Asunción
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Álvarez-del-Río
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003657:Decision Making; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D018743:Perinatal Care; D066087:Perinatal Death; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012067:Religion; D000068217:Social Workers / Q000523:psychology*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult