Ethics and children's rights: learning from past mistakes

The primary aim of this article is to examine, within the context of recent controversial child health practice and research, the underlying philosophy of the aspect of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Code of Professional Conduct which states that: 'You are personally accountable for ensuring that you promote and protect the interests and dignity of patients and clients, irrespective of gender, age, race, ability, sexuality, economic status, lifestyle, culture and religious or political belief.' A description of the Nuremberg Code, the Helsinki Declaration, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Human Rights Act 1998 will form the backdrop to this article and a range of contemporary examples will be used to illuminate the ethical dilemmas facing children's nurses in their day-to-day work. Within this context the four major principles that underpin healthcare this will be investigated and the legacy of historical unethical practice and research acknowledged. The vulnerability of children and their families to potential coercion, and the role of local research ethics committees, will be discussed.