tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post6734186769067882693..comments2024-02-25T10:24:30.868-05:00Comments on Special needs disability parenting BLOOM: Answering your question on withdrawal of fluids in newbornBLOOM - Parenting Kids With Disabilitieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06901482901008135659noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-16273701060876775182012-10-30T12:10:20.161-04:002012-10-30T12:10:20.161-04:00Oh my GOD! I am horrified!Oh my GOD! I am horrified!Meriahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13813502666724137451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447392662850613354.post-89746914249492459702012-10-29T17:34:52.776-04:002012-10-29T17:34:52.776-04:00Thanks Louise. This is a very important topic. How...Thanks Louise. This is a very important topic. How is an assessment made as to the child's predicted disabilities anyway? Do the personal values of the neonatologists challenge their ability to provide unbiased information to enable parents to make an informed decision? If the parents choose or ask to dehydrate their newborn, at what point do the rights of the child come into the question? As the child is legally a "person" after birth, should the agencies that protect children become involved? <br /><br />Before birth, the parents can make any decision they want because the fetus has no legal rights. We know that the vast majority will choose to abort if there is indication that the fetus might have a cognitive disability. Does this fact affect or bias the counseling parents receive after birth? <br /><br />Consider the study that was published in 2011 based on 720 patients who suffered brain trauma and were placed on life support at one of six level one trauma centres across Canada. The authors found that the outcome was centre-dependent suggesting that the culture of the centre (and its staff) was a factor in the decision to withdraw treatment. They concluded: <br /><br />"We observed significant variation in mortality across centres. Considering the high proportion of early deaths associated with the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy and the limited accuracy of current prognostic indicators, caution should be used regarding early withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy following severe traumatic brain injury."* <br /><br />Could the same circumstance, whereby treatment is withdrawn before there is a reasonably accurate ability to assess brain damage exist in the NICU?<br /><br />I wonder what oversight exists to ensure that the best interests of the newborn "person" in these situations? <br /><br /><br />*Mortality associated with withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a Canadian multicentre cohort study. CMAJ. 2011 October 4; 183(14): 1581–1588.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com