Question 1

In the US, who is the primary medical decisionmaker for a severely compromised neonate when the parents and medical team disagree?

Accepted Answer

The medical team is the primary medical decisionmaker for a severely compromised neonate when the parents and medical team disagree.

Question 2

Which of the following best characterizes a congenital disorder?

Accepted Answer

A congenital disorder is a disorder present at birth, regardless of whether it is genetic or inherited. However, not all genetic or inherited disorders are congenital, as they may only become apparent later in life.

Question 3

Given the killing/letting-die distinction, which of the following end-of-life measures amount to killing and which to letting die?

Accepted Answer

Withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and withholding life-sustaining treatment both involve either discontinuing or not initiating a medical intervention that sustains a patient's life. These actions are considered letting die because they simply allow the natural process of dying to occur. On the other hand, withholding artificial nutrition and hydration could be classified as either letting die or killing, depending on the circumstances and intent behind the decision.

Question 4

According to the Baby Doe rules, in which of the following situations is forgoing life-sustaining treatment justified?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the Baby Doe rules, in...

Question 5

Which of the following has been given as a reason for the legalization of neonatal euthanasia in the Netherlands?

Accepted Answer

The legalization of neonatal euthanasia in the Netherlands was partly justified by the need to introduce accountability and transparency to a practice that was already occurring without regulation.

Question 6

Which end-of-life measure was the Groningen Protocol devised to make lawful when an infant with severe congenital disorders is born?

Accepted Answer

The Groningen Protocol was devised to make neonatal euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, lawful for infants with severe congenital disorders. It is not related to options A and B, which pertain to the admission to neonatal intensive care and forgoing life-sustaining treatment, respectively.

Question 7

When an extremely premature infant with a high probability of severe disability and death is born, what protocols of care do health care professionals follow around the world?

Accepted Answer

Protocols vary globally, but they generally include providing immediate resuscitation and neonatal intensive care if the infant is viable and there's a chance of survival (A), or withholding critical care while ensuring the infant remains comfortable if survival is not expected or if the quality of life would be severely compromised (B). Inducing death (C) is not a standard or ethical practice in neonatal care.

Question 8

Which of the following end-of-life measures for infants with severe congenital disorders amount to forgoing treatment?

Accepted Answer

All of the above (withholding life supports, withdrawing life supports, and DNR orders) involve forgoing treatment for infants with severe congenital disorders.

Question 9

What was the rationale for the Baby Doe rules?

Accepted Answer

The Baby Doe rules were put in place to protect the interests of disabled newborns from both medical neglect and discrimination on the basis of their disabilities. These rules require that medical treatment be provided to disabled newborns unless the treatment is deemed futile, in which case the decision must be made by a committee and not just by the parents. The rules also prohibit discrimination against disabled newborns in the provision of medical treatment.

Question 10

When the parents of a preemie and the medical team cannot agree on what ought to be done, what does court ruling in HCA v Miller suggest? That providers should decide according to

Accepted Answer

The court ruling in HCA v Miller suggests that decisions about preemies in cases of disagreement between parents and medical teams should be made based on a combination of parental choice and the infant's best interests. This means that providers should first consider the parents' wishes and values, but they must also take into account what is medically necessary and what is in the best interests of the infant. Ultimately, the decision should be made in collaboration between the parents and the medical team, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of the infant.

Question 11

What can be said for and against a possible moral difference between withholding and withdrawing life supports from a compromised newborn? And what about between forgoing life supports and neonatal euthanasia?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What can be said for and against...

Question 12

How might an appeal to quality of life support abortion for fetal defects? Provide an example of one type of birth defect that could support that appeal and one that could not.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How might an appeal to quality of...

Question 13

Think of an infant you know about or have heard about whose life was of such poor quality that you'd say it wasn't worth having at all. Would you go as far as saying that life itself was an injury to the infant? Or do you rather think that of no human life could that be truly said? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Think of an infant you know about...

Question 14

What does it mean to say that an infant is 'severely compromised'? Why might infants born too soon or too small be in that category?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What does it mean to say that...

Question 15

What reasons do the advocates of neonatal euthanasia (e.g., Verhagen 2013) offer for the legalization of the practice? Are you persuaded that there should be such a legal change?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What reasons do the advocates of neonatal...

Quiz 9: End-Of-Life Measures for Severely Compromised Newborns