Bioethics for clinicians: 9. Involving children in medical decisions.
Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 9084389.
- Also identified by PMC identifier PMC1227047.
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Abstract
Medical decisions involving children raise particular ethical issues for physicians and other members of the health care team. Although parents and physicians have traditionally made most medical decisions on behalf of children, the developing autonomy of children is increasingly being recognized in medical decision-making. This poses a challenge for physicians, who must work with the child's family and with other health care practitioners to determine the child's role in decision-making. A family-centred approach respects the complex nature of parent-child relationships, the dependence and vulnerability of the child and the child's developing capacity for decision-making.