Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Ethics ain't easy: do we need simple rules for complicated ethical decisions?

Annie Janvier1, Keith J Barrington, Khalid Aziz

  • 1Paediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|March 28, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Current guidelines for extremely preterm infants rely too heavily on estimated gestational age (GA). Individualized care, considering all prognostic factors and family wishes, is crucial for these unique newborns.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal medicine
  • Medical ethics
  • Public health policy

Background:

  • National recommendations for extremely preterm infants primarily use estimated gestational age (GA) for intervention thresholds.
  • Existing policies for very preterm infants differ from those for older patients without clear justification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze current policy statements on active intervention for extremely preterm infants.
  • To compare these policies with those for older patient groups.
  • To examine factors influencing prognosis and decision-making for extremely preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Review of policy statements addressing active intervention for newborn infants.
  • Comparison of policies for preterm infants with those for older patients.
  • Examination of research on attitudes, GA assessment uncertainties, and prognostic factors.

Main Results:

  • Policy statements inconsistently and irrationally differentiate care for very preterm infants.
  • Extremely preterm infants face devaluation in both medical and public perception.
  • GA estimation uncertainty is significant, impacting prognosis.
  • Prognostic factors like sex, birth weight, and antenatal steroid use are critical but often overlooked in policies.

Conclusions:

  • Policies based solely on GA for extremely preterm infants are inadequate.
  • Individualized decision-making is essential, incorporating all prognostic factors.
  • Family values and wishes must be central to the care of extremely preterm infants.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Operant Protocols for Assessing the Cost-benefit Analysis During Reinforced Decision Making by Rodents07:05

Operant Protocols for Assessing the Cost-benefit Analysis During Reinforced Decision Making by Rodents

Published on: September 10, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Ethical Dilemmas II01:30

Ethical Dilemmas II

Resolving an ethical dilemma in healthcare involves a systematic approach that considers every aspect of the issue, respecting both the patient's needs and values and the healthcare professional's ethical obligations. Here are potential steps to resolve an ethical dilemma:
Ethical Dilemmas I01:17

Ethical Dilemmas I

Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Ethical Issues01:27

Ethical Issues

Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethics and Bioethics01:22

Ethics and Bioethics

Ethics is a philosophical study of moral actions. Ethics attempts to determine what is valuable for individuals and society. It examines the rational justification of moral judgments and analyzes what is morally just, fair, and right. Bioethics is a sub-discipline of applied ethics that analyzes the philosophical, social, and legal issues in life sciences and medicine. Ethical theories serve as a foundation for decision-making and represent the viewpoints from which people seek direction. They...
Nursing Ethical Principles II01:27

Nursing Ethical Principles II

Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...