Ethics In Neonatology: Save The Babies !
Celia Brecht
Honors Freshman English
Mr. Fry
9 February 2013
Ethics in Neonatology: Save the Babies!
Ethics are a big part of neonatology. Ethics involve the treatment of the newborn and who gets to decide their treatment plan. The history of neonatology has greatly affected the way ethics are viewed today. When neonatology was relatively new, doctors often did not care about the infant’s pain. Because physicians know about the pain of a newborn now, they can assess the treatment plans better, therefore usually winning the ethics battle.
Neonatology is a branch of pediatrics involving care for newborn, sick, and premature babies (“The History of Neonatology”). Even though it can be a sad profession, neonatology is a critical part …show more content…
There are three critical things that a neonatologist must worry about in a premature infant because they have not had the time to let their internal organs fully develop yet. The first is their lungs. The infant is often not able to breathe on its own, so it is put on a respirator to breathe for them. The second thing is the brain. The brain is not developed enough so the baby is incapable of sucking or swallowing. They cannot latch on to a bottle or the mother’s breast yet, so they are fed through a tube. The last thing a neonatologist has to worry about is the immune system. The baby isn’t in the womb long enough to receive the full complement of antibodies to ward off infections and diseases, so they are more prone to getting sick (Berkhow Beers and Fletcher 1148). Doctors also are required to do repeated blood tests to monitor functions of the liver and kidneys (Family Health …show more content…
Soon after neonatology was first introduced, a large number of pediatricians devoted themselves to full-time neonatology (Phillip). The very first NICU was established in October 1960 at Yale-New Haven Hospital. These first NICUs were only designed to stop the spread of disease by separating sick babies from healthy babies, rather than what they are made to do to day, to make sick and premature babies healthier (Encyclopedia of Family Health 1337). In 1973, clinicians first brought the ethics issue to attention (Fleischman). Before this, pain and discomfort in a newborn was not seen as a priority. Babies were operated on with little or no anesthesia (Rutter). In 1984, United States Congress amended the first child abuse law pertaining to overseeing the withdrawing of medically indicated treatments from neonatal patients (Fleischman). But the ethics of neonatal care has developed even more in just the past 15 years. Both substantive and procedural issues have been addressed (Mackler).
Procedural discussion focuses on who has the authority to say what medical care the infant will receive. The potential decision makers are parents, physicians, ethics/infant care review committees, and state courts
Honors Freshman English
Mr. Fry
9 February 2013
Ethics in Neonatology: Save the Babies!
Ethics are a big part of neonatology. Ethics involve the treatment of the newborn and who gets to decide their treatment plan. The history of neonatology has greatly affected the way ethics are viewed today. When neonatology was relatively new, doctors often did not care about the infant’s pain. Because physicians know about the pain of a newborn now, they can assess the treatment plans better, therefore usually winning the ethics battle.
Neonatology is a branch of pediatrics involving care for newborn, sick, and premature babies (“The History of Neonatology”). Even though it can be a sad profession, neonatology is a critical part …show more content…
There are three critical things that a neonatologist must worry about in a premature infant because they have not had the time to let their internal organs fully develop yet. The first is their lungs. The infant is often not able to breathe on its own, so it is put on a respirator to breathe for them. The second thing is the brain. The brain is not developed enough so the baby is incapable of sucking or swallowing. They cannot latch on to a bottle or the mother’s breast yet, so they are fed through a tube. The last thing a neonatologist has to worry about is the immune system. The baby isn’t in the womb long enough to receive the full complement of antibodies to ward off infections and diseases, so they are more prone to getting sick (Berkhow Beers and Fletcher 1148). Doctors also are required to do repeated blood tests to monitor functions of the liver and kidneys (Family Health …show more content…
Soon after neonatology was first introduced, a large number of pediatricians devoted themselves to full-time neonatology (Phillip). The very first NICU was established in October 1960 at Yale-New Haven Hospital. These first NICUs were only designed to stop the spread of disease by separating sick babies from healthy babies, rather than what they are made to do to day, to make sick and premature babies healthier (Encyclopedia of Family Health 1337). In 1973, clinicians first brought the ethics issue to attention (Fleischman). Before this, pain and discomfort in a newborn was not seen as a priority. Babies were operated on with little or no anesthesia (Rutter). In 1984, United States Congress amended the first child abuse law pertaining to overseeing the withdrawing of medically indicated treatments from neonatal patients (Fleischman). But the ethics of neonatal care has developed even more in just the past 15 years. Both substantive and procedural issues have been addressed (Mackler).
Procedural discussion focuses on who has the authority to say what medical care the infant will receive. The potential decision makers are parents, physicians, ethics/infant care review committees, and state courts