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Peer-reviewed article

Two Infants, Same Prognosis, Different Parental Preferences

A central principle of justice is that similar cases should be decided in similar ways. In pediatrics, however, there are cases in which 2 infants have similar diagnoses and prognoses, but their parents request different treatments. In…

By John D. LantosJanuary 1, 20151 min readin PEDIATRICS

A central principle of justice is that similar cases should be decided in similar ways. In pediatrics, however, there are cases in which 2 infants have similar diagnoses and prognoses, but their parents request different treatments. In this Ethics Rounds, we present such a situation that occurred in a single NICU. Three physician-ethicists analyze the issues.

Originally published at PEDIATRICS · January 1, 2015.

About the author

John D. Lantos is a pediatrician and bioethicist writing on AI in medicine, neonatal intensive care, and end-of-life decisions. His essays appear in JAMA, JAMA Pediatrics, the Hastings Center Report, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Aeon. Read more about John.

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