Dehan M
Service de Pédiatrie et Réanimation Néonatales, Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, 157, rue de la Porte-de-Trivaux, 92141 Clamart Cedex.
J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris). 2002 Feb;31(1 Suppl):2S94-7.
The primary goal of neonatal intensive care is to save the life of all newborns, recognized as a complete human being despite their life-threatening situation. There are situations however where extensive and irreversible brain damage leading to major handicaps is the cost of saving the infant's life. In these extreme situations, where the infant may or may not yet depend totally on life support systems, the physicians in charge are faced with the question of whether medical interruption of the infant's life could be an ethical option. We recall here the main phases of the discussions conducted by french neonatologists faced with these dilemmas and the fundamental principles of current recommendations. Interruption of infant's life in the neonatal unit could be a possible alternative to feticide performed during third trimester termination of pregnancy: in an ethic and coherent medical and human approach, it would be possible to envisage termination of life during the postnatal period in certain specific cases at the request of the parents.
