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Saving Very Premature Babies: Key Ethical Issues (Paperback)

Product description

*Discusses the sanctity of life vs quality of life, bringing in wider philosophical and practical issues surrounding 'life at any cost'
* Real life case studies highlight ethical and legal dilemmas in neonatal care as well as issues relating to disability
* Illustrates relevant legal cases to highlight how the law protects both medical staff and children
* Questions the time of emergence of 'personhood' and how this could influence decision-making

Contents
Introduction
Section 1: The Child and its family
Chapter 1: Theories and principles of medical ethics
Chapter 2: The very premature baby: a profile
Chapter 3: Effects on the family
Section 2: The Sanctity vs Quality of Life Issue
Chapter 4: Some religious perspectives
Chapter 5: Does Human life have intrinsic value?
Section 3: Withdrawing or withholding treatment
Chapter 6: Acts and omissions Doctrine etc
Chapter 7 : Differing Ethical views (referring to recent guidelines drawn up by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health)
Section 4: The Principle of Justice and Resource Allocation
Chapter 8: Explanation of the Principle of Justice in relation to health care resources
Chapter 9: Medical Triage, quality adjusted life year; implications for neonatal care
Section 5: The legal framework
Chapter 10: Criminal Law and the Duty of Care (for parents and doctors); Killing or Allowing to Die: is there a difference in law?
Chapter 11: Relevant court decisions and their implications
Chapter 12: Conclusions

Published: April 2003

Review taken from MIDIRS publications

A provocative look at the ethical and legal issues surrounding the saving of very premature babies. This book presents the viewpoints of both medical professionals and the families who have to cope with children left with multiple and profound learning disabilities as a result of pre-term delivery.