Abstracts » Health

Parental rights at the birth of a near-viable infant: conflicting perspectives

Article Abstract:

Parents and all health care team members should maintain open communication lines regarding decisions about life support measures for near-viable infants. Newborn specialists consider infants born 22 to 24 weeks after conception to be near-viable and are obligated to advocate for medical treatment that is in the best interests of the child. Most specialists will use all means to maintain that life. Court orders can legally limit the scope of parental wishes when newborn specialists believe parents are not making decisions in the child's best interest. The legal and ethical conflicts surrounding two near-viable births are described.

Care and treatment, Infants (Premature), Premature infants, Parents, Civil rights, Resuscitation

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Gamete retrieval in terminal conditions

Article Abstract:

The University of Virginia has developed guidelines for doctors of terminally ill patients whose spouses or family members request egg or sperm retrieval for future fertilization attempts. The guidelines were developed by a committee consisting of a urologist, the director of the assisted reproductive facility, and three members of the university's Ethics Consultation Service.

Terminal care, Human reproductive technology

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Cerebral arteriovenous malformation in pregnancy: presentation and neurologic, obstetric, and ethical significance

Article Abstract:

Pregnant women with a cerebral arteriovenous malformation can give birth successfully but they may want to make a living will just in case. A cerebral arteriovenous malformation is a tangle of abnormal veins and arteries in the brain.

Prognosis, Diseases, Pregnant women, Cerebral arteriovenous malformations

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