Presentation Information

Newborns are Children too! Ethical Challenges in Neonatology

• Speaker: Franco Carnevale , RN, PhD (Psych), PhD (Phil); Nurse, Psychologist, Clinical Ethicist(Children & Youth)
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits: 1 CERP, 1 Nursing CEU, 1 CME

Abstract:

Advances in pediatric ethics have helped identify ethical concerns that arise in the care of children as well as strategies for addressing these concerns. Despite these important innovations, some significant ethical problems persist in neonatology, which seem rooted in particular challenges involved in the care of newborns and their families. These include concerns regarding: excessive care for infants with limited prognoses; dismissive care toward projected disability; providing palliative care; parental roles and responsibilities; inadequate pain management; cross-cultural disagreements; and moral distress among staff and parents. These tensions commonly relate to: (a) difficulties in defining infants’ best interests; (b) tensions regarding the respective decisional authority of parents and health professionals; and (c) tragic situations where all treatment options seem wrong. Strategies for analyzing and reconciling these ethical concerns will be discussed.