The Journal of pediatrics
-
The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Multicenter StudyForegoing intensive care treatment in newborn infants with extremely poor prognoses. A study in four neonatal intensive care units in The Netherlands.
Within the framework of the broader ethical discussion on end-of-life decision making in neonatology and the need to obtain more quantifiable data, we performed a multicenter study in four Dutch neonatal intensive care units. All infants who died in these units in 1993 were included in the study. Aside from cases in which foregoing treatment was not under discussion, cases in which death appeared inevitable (A cases) and cases in which foregoing treatment because of extremely poor prognosis was the decisive factor (B cases) were distinguished. ⋯ In a large majority of B cases, the decisions to forego treatment were based on the presence of severe cerebral damage. In A cases there was no real choice because death appeared inevitable. However, in B cases neonatologists were obliged to determine whether continuation of treatment was justifiable or if withdrawal of treatment in view of extremely poor prognoses was preferred.
-
The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Editorial Comment ReviewEnd-of-life decisions in Dutch neonatal intensive care units.