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. 2018 Oct 1;116(5):365-367.
doi: 10.5546/aap.2018.eng.365.

To believe or not to believe: is that the question?

[Article in English, Spanish]
Affiliations
Free article

To believe or not to believe: is that the question?

[Article in English, Spanish]
María S Ciruzzi. Arch Argent Pediatr. .
Free article

Abstract

It is a reality that, in the field of pediatrics, parents are the legal representatives of their children, which means that any medical decision in relation to the child should be taken with the intercession of at least one of his/her parents who -in the exercise of a subrogated autonomy and a legally granted representation- provide their informed consent. The problem arises when the parents refuse to give their informed consent or directly make decisions that will have a specific impact on their child's well-being, thus causing damage or at least a risk for damage. The challenge here is to reconcile the interests and rights at stake, always considering that the constitutional rule of interpretation in the case of a child are his/her best interests.

Es un dato de la realidad que, en pediatría, los padres son los representantes legales de sus hij os, lo cual implica que las decisiones médicas en relación con el pequeño deben ser tomadas con la intervención de, al menos, uno de sus padres, quien -en ejercicio de la autonomía subrogada y de la representación legalmente conferida-brindará su consentimiento informado. El problema surge cuando los padres niegan su consentimiento informado o, directamente, asumen decisiones que repercuten de modo concreto en el bienestar e integridad del niño, lo que provoca un daño o -cuando menos- lo coloca en riesgo de sufrir un daño. Nuestro desafío es procurar una conciliación de los intereses y derechos en juego siempre teniendo presente que la pauta constitucional de interpretación cuando de un niño se trata es su interés superior.

Keywords: Alternative medicine; Best interests of a child; Medical care; Parental responsibility.

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