Critical care decisions in fetal and neonatal medicine: ethical issues
Introduction
In developed countries, modern medicine has reached the stage where we can sustain the life of babies who in the past might not have survived a difficult birth. However parents who have a very premature or very sick baby may be faced with complex questions about what the future holds.
In June 2003, the Council held a Workshop, involving a number of experts, to identify and consider some of the ethical issues raised by prolonging life in fetuses, the newborn and adults. While extending the life of the very young has always been a controversial subject, the Nuffield Council decided that a discussion of the difficult issues that arise would be timely. As a result of the discussions that took place, a Working Party was established in October 2004 to consider the ethical, social, legal and economic issues involved in critical care decisions.
Members of the Working Party are bringing different perspectives to the discussion of this topic. Additional information has been sought through fact finding visits and meetings and a public consultation took place in 2005 (click here for more information). The Council published a Report on the topic on 16 November 2006. Find out more
Last Updated Tue, 21 November 2006
