THE INFANT'S BEST INTEREST – No justice for premies

Aims: A Canadian questionaire (1,2) showed that the best interest standard is not followed for neonatal resuscitation decision. Is a similar devaluation of neonates also present in Germany? Methods: An anonymous survey (based on the Canadian study) at a German medical school depicting 8 fictitious scenarios requiring resuscitation: a preterm, a term infant, a 2-month old and a woman with polytrauma with the same outcome, a 7-year and an 80-year old previously impaired, a girl and a young man with very low survival chance. Results: 129 physicians and 528 students responded. Most felt that it was in the best inter…