Bioethical review committees in perinatology

Abstract

Infant bioethical review committees have been proposed as an option to review decisions for critically ill neonates to ensure the best interests of infants. This approach has evolved out of a concern that there have been some wrong decisions made by physicians and parents in which infants have died after treatments were inappropriately withheld or withdrawn. Infant bioethics committees consisting of multidisciplinary professional and lay members will attempt to assure the best interests of infants while maintaining parental discretion concerning decision making in most cases. It is our belief that these committees not only protect the interests of infants who might have treatment inappropriately withheld but also protect the interests of infants who can no longer be benefited by medical intervention. Furthermore, by increasing discussion and deliberation of these complex moral issues, the professional staff will be better able to deal with exigent situations and to provide thoughtful decision making in difficult cases. Finally, the role of the ethics committee will be to provide ethical comfort for staff and family alike in carrying out these difficult decisions for some of the most critically ill patients in our hospitals.