Withdrawing and Withholding Life-Sustaining Medical Therapies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Case-Based Approaches to Clinical Controversies.

In cases whereby the continuation of life-sustaining medical therapies is not in the infant's best interest and does not align with the parents' goals, it is ethically and morally advisable to withhold/withdraw life-sustaining medical therapies. Withdrawing/withholding artificial nutrition hydration is not morally or ethically different from other medical treatments. Determination of what and when to withdraw should occur through shared decision-making considering the parents' values and the infant's physiology and comfort.

When Do Pediatricians Call the Ethics Consultation Service? Impact of Clinical Experience and Formal Ethics Training.

Previous research shows that pediatricians inconsistently utilize the ethics consultation service (ECS). Pediatricians in two suburban, Midwestern academic hospitals were asked to reflect on their ethics training and utilization of ECS via an anonymous, electronic survey distributed in 2017 and 2018, and analyzed in 2018. Participants reported their clinical experience, exposure to formal and informal ethics training, use of formal and informal ethics consultations, and potential barriers to formal consultation.