Moral problems in the care of pre-term newborns

Anna Pilewska-Kozak; Beata Dobrowolska; Iga Piasecka; Klaudia Pałucka

eISSN: 2299-8284
ISSN: 1233-9989

Nursing Problems / Problemy Pielęgniarstwa

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4/2013
vol. 21

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abstract:

Review paper

Moral problems in the care of pre-term newborns

Anna Pilewska-Kozak

¹

,

Beata Dobrowolska

²

,

Iga Piasecka

³

,

Klaudia Pałucka

⁴

Katedra i Klinika Ginekologii i Endokrynologii Ginekologicznej WPiNoZ UM w Lublinie
Katedra Rozwoju Pielęgniarstwa WPiNoZ UM w Lublinie
NZOZ Poradnia Zdrowia, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski
Studentka studiów II stopnia na kierunku położnictwo, Wydział Pielęgniarstwa i Nauk o Zdrowiu, Uniwersytet Medyczny, Lublin

Online publish date: 2014/02/21

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For ages newborns have not been considered complete human beings as they did not souls. St Thomas Aquinas (13th century AD) was the first scholar who recognized newborn’s right to possess immortal soul. It was due to Aquinas that newborns were officially given the status of human beings possessing souls in 15th century. Present day faces a problem to provide pre-term newborns with such therapy that could ensure them proper development at social costs of birth and sustaining life as low as possible as they often have birth defects or genetic disease. The survival of newborns with extremely low birth weight and congenital defects has been increasing. However their development and quality of life is far from satisfactory. In 21st century the advances in medicine and new technology in sustaining life functions have brought numerous ethical- -deontological and legal problems, e.g. decision making as to undertake resuscitation or not, whether to stop intensive care and treatment, or how to differentiate between persistent therapy and euthanasia. The staff of neonatal wards often have to deal with such dilemmas.

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Moral problems in the care of pre-term newborns

Anna Pilewska-Kozak 1 , Beata Dobrowolska 2 , Iga Piasecka 3 , Klaudia Pałucka 4

moral status of a newborn; nursing care; pre-term birth

Anna Pilewska-Kozak

¹

,

Beata Dobrowolska

²

,

Iga Piasecka

³

,

Klaudia Pałucka

⁴