Tiny Babies, Large Questions: Ethical Issues in Prenatal and Neonatal Care
Sixth Annual Pediatric Bioethics Conference
Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24, 2010
Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle, Washington
For most families, pregnancy and the birth of a child is an exciting and joyous time of hope and celebration. But sometimes, difficult and challenging ethical issues can emerge regarding the application of medical technology, the role of parental decision-making — and the impact of these decisions on tiny and vulnerable human beings.
Ethical questions surrounding prenatal and neonatal care include:
- Should there be limits on the use of reproductive technologies that may adversely affect the health of the child?
- How should healthcare providers decide when to offer promising but untested invasive fetal interventions?
- When an infant is born very prematurely, should parents be allowed to forgo life-saving treatment that a healthcare provider thinks could save the infant's life?
- Under what circumstances should a healthcare provider be allowed to refuse to resuscitate an infant over the parents' wishes?
- Does society have an obligation to support parents of children who have been born prematurely or with significant disabilities?
- When financial resources are limited, how do we justify using more expensive technologies to help a few infants now, when doing so may be at the expense of many infants in the future?
Leaders in the field of pediatric bioethics will discuss these and other issues on July 23 and 24, 2010, in the picturesque city of Seattle. Come join us and add your perspective as we explore these ethical questions through presentations, panel discussions and abstract presentations.
Conference Planning Committee
- Douglas Diekema, MD, MPH
- Benjamin Wilfond, MD
- Catherine Cordner, RN, BSN
- Denise Dudzinski, PhD, MTS
- Kathy Fennell, RN, MPH, MBA
- Maureen Kelley, PhD
- Kathie Kohorn, MA
- J. Craig Jackson, MD, MHA