Inclusion Daily Express -- Survey: Doctors Who Fear Their Own Death Are More Likely To Speed Up Deaths Of Newborns

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Survey: Doctors Who Fear Their Own Death Are More Likely To Speed Up Deaths Of Newborns
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
February 15, 2007

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA--A survey of neonatal specialists in Australia and New Zealand has revealed that nearly one-third would break the law and give high doses of sedatives and painkillers to newborns with disabilities -- with the specific goal of causing them to die.

The study, performed by researchers at Westmead Children's Hospital, also found that 94 percent of those pediatricians would administer medication to babies that they believed could not benefit from treatment, knowing they might unintentionally cause the babies' death.

The anonymous survey of 78 neonatologists, which was published last week in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, reportedly showed further that doctors who feared their own deaths said they were more likely to speed up the death of a newborn with severe disabilities or medical conditions. On the other hand, doctors who were afraid of cremation or having their own bodies donated to medical science were less likely to hasten the deaths of these babies.

Researcher Dr. Peter Barr told ABC Radio that he had been interested in learning what influence, if any, a doctor's "own personal death anxiety" might have on how he or she deals with complicated ethical issues, in which doctors are supposed to be neutral.

"I see it as a way of, if you like, that doctors don't make objective decisions. I think that the subjective issues are always present. And that one is best to pay attention to them."

Related:
"One-third of doctors would hasten death of ill newborn" (The Age)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/07/red/0215a.htm
"1 in 3 doctors would break law to euthanize disabled babies: survey" (ABC)
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2007/s1842041.htm

Copyright © 2007 Inonit Publishing
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