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| Dutch doctors adopt guidelines on mercy killing of newborns |
| 07.15.05 (11:14 am) [edit] |
|
Tony Sheldon Utrecht Dutch paediatricians have voted unanimously to adopt as national guidelines the so called Groningen protocol that covers the mercy killing of newborn babies who are incurably sick and are suffering severely. The Dutch Paediatric Society accepted that "in exceptional circumstances and under strict conditions... deliberate ending of life" of such newborns "can be an acceptable option." The protocol gives exact details of the requirements doctors must follow and includes the mandatory reporting of all cases. The local protocol drawn up at Groningen University Hospital last autumn caused an international outcry. Its clinical director of paediatrics, Eduard Verhagen, told the BMJ at the time, "It is time to be honest; all over the world doctors end lives discreetly, out of compassion". The protocol, which the Groningen doctors agreed with the public prosecution service, enables doctors to report their actions without being prosecuted. Its requirements include a clear diagnosis and prognosis; that the newborn baby must be suffering hopelessly and unbearably with no prospect for future treatment; that both parents must give their informed consent; that the decision must be confirmed by a second independent doctor; and that the death and treatment must be reported to the local coroner. After the recent decision, Dr Verhagen, who chairs the society's ethics and law committee, said, "The society has agreed a clear and uniform approach to the decisions regarding deliberate life ending procedures in sick newborns." The "confirmation of the acceptability" of this practice was an important step for parents and doctors. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/ 7509/126-a?etoc" title="http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/ 7509/126-a?etoc" target="_blank"http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cg... |
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