Delivery room decision-making for extremely preterm infants in Sweden

The ethics and practice of perinatal care at the limit of viability: FIGO recommendations

An arbitrary gestational age limit of viability cannot be set, and in clinical practice the focus should be on a periviability interval-the so-called "gray zone" of prognostic uncertainty. For cases within this interval, the most appropriate decision-making process remains debatable and periviability has emerged as one of the greatest challenges in bioethics. Universally recognized ethical principles may be interpreted differently due to socioeconomic, cultural, and religious aspects. In the case of periviability, there is considerable uncertainty over whether interventions result in a greater balance of clinical good over harm. Furthermore, the fetus or neonate is unable to exercise autonomy and the physicians and parents will act as patient surrogates. When parents and physicians disagree about the infant's best interest, a dialogue without paternalistic attitudes is essential, whereby physicians should only offer, but not recommend, perinatal interventions. Parental choice, based on thorough information, should be respected within the limits of what is medically feasible and appropriate. When disagreements between parents and physicians occur, how is consensus to be achieved? Professional guidelines can be helpful as a framework and starting point for discussion. In reality, however, guidelines only rarely draw categorical lines and in many cases remain vague and ambiguously worded. Local ethics committees can provide counseling and function as moderators during discussions, but ethics committees do not have decision precedence. Counseling assumes the most significant role in periviability discussions, taking into consideration the particular fetal and maternal characteristics, as well as parental values. Several caveats should be observed relative to counseling: message fragmentation or inconsistence should be minimized, prognosis should preferably be presented in a positive framing, and overreliance on statistics should be avoided. It is recommended that decisions regarding neonatal resuscitation in the periviability interval be made before birth and not conditional on the newborn's appearance at birth. Regardless of decision, it is important to assure pre- and postnatal coherence. The present article describes how individual physicians, centers, and countries differ in the approach to the decision to initiate or forgo intensive care in the periviability interval. It is impossible to provide a global consensus view and there can be no unifying ethical, moral, or practical strategy. Nevertheless, ethically justified, quality care comprises early involvement of the obstetric and neonatal team to enable a coherent, comprehensible, nonpaternalistic, and balanced plan of care. Ultimately, physicians will need to adjust the expectations to the local standards, local outcome data, and local neonatal support availability.

The Ethics and Practice of Periviability Care

Since the 1960s, the gestational age at which premature infants typically survive has decreased by approximately one week per decade [...].

Attitudes About Extremely Preterm Birth Among Obstetric and Neonatal Health Care Professionals in England: A Qualitative Study

Importance

Variation in attitudes between health care professionals involved in the counseling of parents facing extremely preterm birth (<24 wk gestational age) may lead to parental confusion and professional misalignment.

Objective

To explore the attitudes of health care professionals involved in the counseling of parents facing preterm birth on the treatment of extremely preterm infants.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This qualitative study used Q methods to explore the attitudes of neonatal nurses, neonatologists, midwives, and obstetricians involved in the care of extremely preterm infants in 4 UK National Health Service perinatal centers between February 10, 2020, and April 30, 2021. Each participating center had a tertiary level neonatal unit and maternity center. Individuals volunteered participation through choosing to complete the study following a presentation by researchers at each center. A link to the online Q study was emailed to all potential participants by local principal investigators. Participants ranked 53 statements about the treatment of extremely preterm infants in an online quasi-normal distribution grid from strongly agree (6) to strongly disagree (-6).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Distinguishing factors per professional group (representing different attitudes) identified through by-person factor analysis of Q sort-data were the primary outcome. Areas of shared agreement (consensus) between professional groups were also explored. Q sorts achieving a factor loading of greater than 0.46 (P < .01) on a given factor were included.

Results

In total, 155 health care professionals volunteered participation (128 [82.6%] women; mean [SD] age, 41.6 [10.2] years, mean [SD] experience, 14.1 [9.6] years). Four distinguishing factors were identified between neonatal nurses, 3 for midwives, 5 for neonatologists, and 4 for obstetricians. Analysis of factors within and between professional groups highlighted significant variation in attitudes of professionals toward parental engagement in decision-making, the perceived importance of potential disability in decision-making, and the use of medical technology. Areas of consensus highlighted that most professionals disagreed with statements suggesting disability equates to reduced quality of life. The statement suggesting the parents' decision was considered the most important when considering neonatal resuscitation was placed in the neutral (middistribution) position by all professionals.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this qualitative study suggest that parental counseling at extremely low gestations is a complex scenario further complicated by the differences in attitudes within and between professional disciplines toward treatment approaches. The development of multidisciplinary training encompassing all professional groups may facilitate a more consistent and individualized approach toward parental engagement in decision-making.

Swiss neonatal caregivers express diverging views on parental involvement in shared decision-making for extremely premature infants

AIM

Due to scarce available national data, this study assessed current attitudes of neonatal caregivers regarding decisions on life-sustaining interventions, and their views on parents' aptitude to express their infant's best interest in shared decision-making.

METHODS

Self-administered web-based quantitative empirical survey. All 552 experienced neonatal physicians and nurses from all Swiss NICUs were eligible.

RESULTS

There was a high degree of agreement between physicians and nurses (response rates 79% and 70%, respectively) that the ability for social interactions was a minimal criterion for an acceptable quality of life. A majority stated that the parents' interests are as important as the child's best interest in shared decision-making. Only a minority considered the parents as the best judges of what is their child's best interest. Significant differences in attitudes and values emerged between neonatal physicians and nurses. The language area was very strongly associated with the attitudes of neonatal caregivers.

CONCLUSION

Despite clear legal requirements and societal expectations for shared decision-making, survey respondents demonstrated a gap between their expressed commitment to shared decision-making and their view on parental aptitude to formulate their infant's best interest. National guidelines need to address these barriers to shared decision-making to promote a more uniform nationwide practice.

Aspectos bioéticos en la decisión terapéutica del neonato prematuro extremo

El artículo plantea la problemática en la toma de decisiones terapéuticas frente al niño prematuro extremo, en particular, aquel de menos de 25 semanas de gestación, sometido a tecnología de soporte vital avanzado. Para ello, se tuvieron en cuenta tanto su pronóstico como las posibles secuelas. Expone la forma en que las decisiones pueden ser tomadas y la manera en que los actores se pueden involucrar. La perspectiva ética de los actos terapéuticos analiza los argumentos de calidad de vida y mejores intereses para el paciente. Adicionalmente, intenta analizar las repercusiones para la salud pública, centrándose particularmente en la asignación y distribución de recursos. Se concluye que la toma de decisiones no puede ser realizada aisladamente por el equipo de salud, sino que requiere de la participación de los padres. El uso desproporcionado de tecnología diagnóstica y terapéutica conllevaría para las niñas, niños y sus padres importantes cargas de sufrimiento y gastos tanto individuales como para el Estado. La calidad de vida debe ser ponderada y adoptada como criterio analizando el mejor interés para el niño, sus padres y la sociedad, en defensa del bien común y equidad.

Physicians' Attitudes on Resuscitation of Extremely Premature Infants: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Whether to resuscitate extremely premature infants (EPIs) is a clinically and ethically difficult decision to make. Indications and practices vary greatly across different countries and institutions, which suggests that resuscitation decisions may be influenced more by the attitudes of the individual treating physicians. Hence, gaining in-depth insight into physicians' attitudes improves our understanding of decision-making regarding resuscitation of EPIs.

OBJECTIVE

To better understand physicians' attitudes toward resuscitation of EPIs and factors that influence their attitudes through a systematic review of the empirical literature.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus.

STUDY SELECTION

We selected English-language articles in which researchers report on empirical studies of physicians' attitudes toward resuscitation of EPIs.

DATA EXTRACTION

The articles were repeatedly read, themes were identified, and data were tabulated, compared, and analyzed descriptively.

RESULTS

Thirty-four articles were included. In general, physicians were more willing to resuscitate, to accept parents' resuscitation requests, and to refuse parents' nonresuscitation requests as gestational age (GA) increased. However, attitudes vary greatly for infants at GA 23 to 24 weeks, known as the gray zone. Although GA is the primary factor that influences physicians' attitudes, a complex interplay of patient- and non-patient-related factors also influences their attitudes.

LIMITATIONS

Analysis of English-only articles may limit generalizability of the results. In addition, authors of only 1 study used a qualitative approach, which may have led to a biased reductionist approach to understanding physicians' attitudes.

CONCLUSIONS

Although correlations between GA and attitudes emerged, the results suggested a more complex interplay of factors influencing such attitudes.

In the Best Interest of the. . .Parents: Norwegian Health Personnel on the Proper Role of Parents in Neonatal Decision-making

OBJECTIVES

The role of parents in life-and-death decision-making for infants born at the border of viability is challenging. Some argue that parents should have the final say in decisions about life-sustaining treatment. Others disagree. In this article, we report views from health care personnel (HCP) on the appropriate parental role.

METHODS

Focus group interviews with 5 different groups of HCP (neonatal nurses, midwifes, obstetricians, mother-fetal specialists, and neonatologists) dealing with life-and-death decisions throughout pregnancy and birth were performed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and at St Olav's Hospital in Trondheim, Norway in 2014-2017. Interviews were taped and transcribed. Inductive analysis was performed for each group discussion for emergent ethical themes. A summary of the transcribed discussion was sent to the relevant focus group participants for comments.

RESULTS

Our participants felt strongly that doctors, not parents, should have the final say. They did not think parents should have to live with the burden of the decision. The possible disagreement between parents, lack of necessary knowledge, experience, time, and emotional stability all point toward the neonatologist as the optimal decision-maker, within a model of "Patient Preference-Satisfaction Paternalism."

CONCLUSIONS

The general attitude of our groups was that parents should have a say and be included in a thorough information and decision-making process. The doctor, or a team of HCP, however, should make the final decision, being in the best position both epistemologically and normatively to promote the best interest of both parents and the child.

Thresholds for Resuscitation of Extremely Preterm Infants in the UK, Sweden, and Netherlands

BACKGROUND

It is widely acceptable to involve parents in decision-making about the resuscitation of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) in the gray zone. However, there are different views about where the boundaries of the gray zone should lie. Our aim in this study was to compare the resuscitation thresholds for EPIs between neonatologists in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

METHODS

We distributed an online survey to consultant neonatologists and neonatal registrars and fellows that included clinical scenarios in which parents requested resuscitation or nonresuscitation. Respondents were asked about the lowest gestational age and/or the worst prognosis at which they would provide resuscitation and the highest gestational age and/or the best prognosis at which they would withhold resuscitation. In additional scenarios, influence of the condition at birth or consideration of available health care resources was assessed.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 162 neonatologists (30% response rate). There was a significant difference between countries; the gray zone for most UK respondents was 23 + 0/7 to 23 + 6/7 or 24 weeks' gestation, compared with 22 + 0/7 to 22 + 6/7 or 23 weeks' gestation in Sweden and 24 + 0/7 to 25 + 6/7 or 26 weeks' gestation in the Netherlands. Resuscitation thresholds were higher if an infant was born in poor condition. There was wide variation in the prognosis that warranted resuscitation or nonresuscitation. Consideration of resource scarcity did not alter responses.

CONCLUSIONS

In this survey, we found significant differences in approach to the resuscitation of EPIs, with a spectrum from most proactive (Sweden) to least proactive (Netherlands). Most survey respondents indicated shifts in decision-making that were associated with particular weeks' gestation. Despite the different approaches to decision-making in the 3 countries, there was relatively little difference between countries in neonatologists' prognostic thresholds for resuscitation.

In Search of Consistency: Scandinavian Approaches to Resuscitation of Extremely Preterm Infants

Guidelines around the resuscitation of extremely preterm infants have been developed, in part, to ensure consistency in decision-making between hospitals and health professionals. However, such guidelines can also be used to highlight other forms of inconsistency: between countries and between practices in different areas of medicine. In this article, we highlight the ethical advantages (and disadvantages) of consistency. We argue that an internationally uniform approach to ethically complex decisions is neither likely nor desirable.

Do Sociocultural Factors Influence Periviability Counseling and Treatment More Than Science? Lessons From Scandinavia

All of us (doctors, parents, bioethicists, and health policy makers) think differently about premature infants who require neonatal intensive care than we do about other patients who are critically ill. In most other clinical circumstances, those that involve patients other than premature infants, our first impulse when confronted with a patient in an emergency is to do whatever we can to rescue the patient. We offer life-sustaining treatments first and ask questions later. With extremely premature infants, by contrast, we first ask questions, ponder our options, and try to develop policies about whether it is appropriate to try to save these infants. We wonder aloud whether these tiny patients are even worth saving. In most countries that have NICUs, and in many hospitals, doctors and policy makers have explicitly specified which infants ought to be offered life-sustaining treatment and which should be allowed to die. Regarding the treatment of infants who are born at the borderline of viability, there are markedly distinct approaches in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In each country, the prevailing approaches were developed after careful consideration of many factors, including public sentiment, professional preferences, reported outcomes, philosophical factors, and considerations of cost and cost-effectiveness. In this article, we comment on some of these considerations and the soundness of the resulting practice variations.

Latent class analysis shows that paediatricians' opinions about the advanced resuscitation of extremely preterm infants were diverse and influenced by personal beliefs

AIM

The aim of this study was to survey paediatricians, who taught neonatal resuscitation in Brazil, about when they would apply advanced resuscitation in the delivery room for newborn infants born at 23-26 weeks of gestational age.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study focused on an electronic questionnaire that was sent to paediatricians who acted as instructors for the Brazilian Neonatal Resuscitation Program from December 2011 to September 2013. The primary outcome was the gestational age at which the respondent would apply advanced resuscitation in the delivery room. Latent class analysis identified the profiles of the instructors, and logistic regression identified the variables associated with belonging to one of the derived classes.

RESULTS

The 560 (82%) instructors who agreed to participate fell into three latent classes: pro-resuscitation, intermediate and pro-limitation, with high, intermediate and low probabilities of performing advanced resuscitation in neonates born at 23-26 weeks. In the multivariate model, group membership was associated with the paediatrician's age, years of practice and personal importance of religion and the patient's birthweight, future quality of life and probability of death.

CONCLUSION

The opinions of paediatricians performing advanced resuscitation on extremely preterm infants in the delivery room were diverse and influenced by personal beliefs.

Opinions of Brazilian resuscitation instructors regarding resuscitation in the delivery room of extremely preterm newborns

OBJECTIVE

To describe the opinions of pediatricians who teach resuscitation in Brazil on initiating and limiting the delivery room resuscitation of extremely preterm infants.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study with electronic questionnaire (Dec/2011-Sep/2013) sent to pediatricians who are instructors of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, containing three hypothetical clinical cases: (1) decision to start the delivery room resuscitation; (2) limitation of neonatal intensive care after delivery room resuscitation; (3) limitation of advanced resuscitation in the delivery room. For each case, it was requested that the instructor indicate the best management for each gestational age between 23 and 26 weeks. A descriptive analysis was performed.

RESULTS

560 (82%) instructors agreed to participate. Only 9% of the instructors reported the existence of written guidelines at their hospital regarding limitations of delivery room resuscitation. At 23 weeks, 50% of the instructors would initiate delivery room resuscitation procedures. At 26 weeks, 2% would decide based on birth weight and/or presence of fused eyelids. Among the participants, 38% would re-evaluate their delivery room decision and limit the care for 23-week neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit. As for advanced resuscitation, 45% and 4% of the respondents, at 23 and 26 weeks, respectively, would not apply chest compressions and/or medications.

CONCLUSION

Difficulty can be observed regarding the decision to not resuscitate a preterm infant with 23 weeks of gestational age. At the same time, a small percentage of pediatricians would not resuscitate neonates of unquestionable viability at 26 weeks of gestational age in the delivery room.

Palliative care for extremely premature infants and their families

Extremely premature infants face multiple acute and chronic life-threatening conditions. In addition, the treatments to ameliorate or cure these conditions often entail pain and discomfort. Integrating palliative care from the moment that extremely premature labor is diagnosed offers families and clinicians support through the process of defining goals of care and making decisions about life support. For both the extremely premature infant who dies soon after birth and the extremely premature infant who experiences multiple complications over weeks and months in the neonatal intensive care unit, palliative care can maintain a focus on infant comfort and family support. This article highlights the ways in which palliative care can be incorporated into intensive care for all critically ill infants.

Initiation of resuscitation in the delivery room for extremely preterm infants: a profile of neonatal resuscitation instructors

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the present study was to examine the decisions of pediatricians who teach neonatal resuscitation in Brazil, particularly those who start resuscitation in the delivery room for newborns born at 23-26 gestational weeks.

METHODS

The present study was a cross-sectional study that used electronic questionnaires (Dec/11-Sep/13) sent to instructors of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics. The primary outcome was the gestational age at which the respondent said that he/she would initiate positive pressure ventilation in the delivery room. Latent class analysis was used to identify the major profiles of these instructors, and logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with belonging to one of the derived classes.

RESULTS

Of 685 instructors, 82% agreed to participate. Two latent classes were identified: 'pro-resuscitation' (instructors with a high probability of performing ventilation on infants born at 23-26 weeks) and 'pro-limitation' (instructors with a high probability of starting ventilation only for infants born at 25-26 weeks). In the multivariate model, compared with the 'pro-limitation' class, 'pro-resuscitation' pediatricians were more likely to be board-certified neonatologists and less likely to base their decision on the probability of the infant's death or on moral/religious considerations.

CONCLUSION

The pediatricians in the most aggressive group were more likely to be specialists in neonatology and to use less subjective criteria to make delivery room decisions.

Perinatal factors associated with active intensive treatment at the border of viability: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this national population-based study was to identify perinatal and neonatal factors associated with active intensive treatment (AIT) of infants born at the periviable period of 22 to 24 weeks of gestation.

STUDY DESIGN

Data from the Israel national very low-birth weight infant database on 2207 infants born alive in 1995 to 2010 at gestational age (GA) 22 to 24 weeks were evaluated. AIT was defined as endotracheal intubation in the delivery room or mechanical ventilation in the neonatal intensive care unit. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the independent effect of demographic and perinatal factors on AIT for each gestational week.

RESULT

Of the 2207 infants born at 22 to 24 weeks GA, 1643 (74.4%) received AIT and 564 (25.6%) received comfort care. AIT increased from 25.5% at 22 weeks to 62.7 and 93.5% at 23 and 24 weeks GA, respectively, reflecting a 4.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.32 to 6.54)- and 29.8 (95% CI 19.9 to 44.6)-fold odds for AIT at 23 and 24 weeks GA, respectively, compared with 22-week GA infants. Perinatal treatments associated with AIT included maternal tocolytic therapy (odds ratio (OR) 1.51, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.20), prenatal steroid therapy, both partial (OR 3.30, 95% CI 2.14 to 5.10) and complete (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.91 to 5.26) and cesarean delivery (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.88 to 3.83). Each unit increase in birth weight z-score was associated with an OR of 1.58 (95% CI 1.30 to 1.92) for AIT. At 22 weeks GA, maternal tocolytic treatment was associated with higher odds of AIT. In the 23 and 24-week GA infants, maternal infertility treatment, antenatal steroids, cesarean delivery and higher-birth weight z-scores were significantly associated with AIT. Among 23-week GA infants, AIT decreased significantly in the period 2006 to 2010 compared with 1995 to 2000 (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.77).

CONCLUSION

An active approach in obstetric management of pregnancies appears to impact the neonatologists' decision to undertake AIT treatment in infants born at the border of viability. The higher odds for AIT associated with obstetric interventions might contribute to the reported beneficial effect of antenatal steroids and cesarean delivery on the survival of infants born at the border of viability.

Shared decision-making among caregivers and health care providers of youth with type 1 diabetes

The present study aimed to examine perceptions of shared decision-making (SDM) in caregivers of youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Interview, survey data, and HbA1c assays were gathered from caregivers of 439 youth with T1D aged 3-18 years. Caregiver-report indicated high perceived SDM during medical visits. Multivariable linear regression indicated that greater SDM is associated with lower HbA1c, older child age, and having a pediatric endocrinologist provider. Multiple logistic regression found that caregivers who did not perceive having made any healthcare decisions in the past year were more likely to identify a non-pediatric endocrinologist provider and to report less optimal diabetes self-care. Findings suggest that youth whose caregivers report greater SDM may show benefits in terms of self-care and glycemic control. Future research should examine the role of youth in SDM and how best to identify youth and families with low SDM in order to improve care.

Survival at the threshold of viability: a nationwide survey of the opinions and attitudes of physicians in a developing country

BACKGROUND

To explore physicians' opinions and attitudes regarding resuscitation of extremely premature infants (EPIs) in a developing country with suboptimal resources.

METHODS

A survey was developed, revised, and pilot-tested. All 964 paediatricians registered in the Lebanese Order of Physicians were contacted; physicians involved in resuscitation of EPIs were eligible. Between February and April of 2009, anonymous surveys were mailed to consenting participants.

RESULTS

Three hundred twenty-eight eligible physicians agreed to participate. One hundred twenty (36%) returned the survey, 45.3% of which were neonatologists. The vast majority agreed that parents would like to be informed and to participate in the resuscitation decision of an EPI. The majority of physicians considered infants at gestational age of ≤25 weeks (78%) or ≤800 g (89%) as non-viable. Physician's age, years of practice, and practising neonatal intensive care unit level were significantly associated with the choice of birthweight at which infants were considered non-viable.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of surveyed physicians consider infants at gestational age less than or equal to 25 weeks gestation or 800 g at birth as non-viable, and therefore would not attempt their resuscitation. Factors influencing threshold of viability in developing countries need to be addressed and explored further.

Resuscitation of infants born at 22 weeks gestation: a 20-year retrospective

OBJECTIVE

To compare the characteristics of infants born at 22 weeks gestational age (GA) who were resuscitated at birth with those of infants who were not resuscitated.

STUDY DESIGN

We reviewed records of all the infants with a GA of 22 0/7 through 22 6/7 weeks who were born alive at William Beaumont Hospital from 1990 through 2009. Deliveries were attended by a neonatologist if they were in the hospital at the time of delivery or requested by the obstetrician and otherwise were attended by a pediatric resident or neonatal nurse practitioner.

RESULT

There were 85 infants born alive at 22 weeks GA during the study period. Thirty-six were intubated in the delivery room and defined as having been resuscitated. Two of them survived. On multivariate analysis, a higher birth weight (odds ratio 2.39 per 100 g increase, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 4.73) and the presence of a neonatologist at delivery (odds ratio 6.72, 95% confidence interval 1.72 to 26.2) were each associated with an increased likelihood of resuscitation.

CONCLUSION

Infants born at 22 weeks GA were more likely to be resuscitated if they were larger or if the delivery was attended by a neonatologist. We encourage neonatal groups to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on the Fetus and Newborn regarding initiation of resuscitation in these infants: inform parents that a good outcome is very unlikely and respect the parents' choice of whether resuscitation should be initiated.

How we teach ethics and communication during a Canadian neonatal perinatal medicine residency: an interactive experience

BACKGROUND

Ethically challenging clinical situations frequently confront health care professionals in neonatology. These situations require neonatologists to exercise professionalism by communicating effectively throughout evolving physician-parent relationships in order to arrive at shared decisions for care that are in the best interest of the neonate and grounded solidly in ethical precepts.

AIM

This article describes the process by which a well-delineated, interactive program to teach ethical reasoning and skillful communication with parents was implemented at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

METHODS

A revised ethics program implemented in 2009 identified competencies that should be demonstrated at the end of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM) residency. Several seminars were refined while new workshops, problem-based learning in ethics, and a personal portfolio were added.

RESULTS

All teaching strategies were well received based on the average level of satisfaction (5.8 out of 7, SD 0.4). We are now moving forward by formally assessing our program including the impact on knowledge acquisition and behavior.

CONCLUSION

A dedicated, interactive competency-based neonatal ethics teaching program is vital to support NPM trainees in learning how to integrate ethical thinking with competencies in communication.

Attitudes of Swedish midwives towards management of extremely preterm labour and birth

OBJECTIVE

the aim of the study was to ascertain the attitudes of Swedish midwives towards management of very preterm labour and birth and to compare the attitudes of midwives at university hospitals with those at general hospitals.

DESIGN

this cross-sectional descriptive and comparative study used an anonymous self-administrated questionnaire for data collection. Descriptive and analytic statistics were carried out for analysis.

PARTICIPANTS

the answers from midwives (n=259) were collected in a prospective SWEMID study.

SETTING

the midwives had experience of working on delivery wards in maternity units with neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Sweden.

FINDINGS

in the management of very preterm labour and birth, midwives agreed to initiate interventions concerning steroid prophylaxis at 23 gestational weeks (GW), caesarean section for preterm labour only at 25 GW, when to give information to the neonatologist before birth at 23 GW, and when to suggest transfer to NICU at 23 GW. Midwives at university hospitals were prone to start interventions at an earlier gestational age than the midwives at general hospitals. Midwives at university hospitals seemed to be more willing to disclose information to the parents.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

midwives with experience of handling very preterm births at 21-28 GW develop a positive attitude to interventions at an earlier gestational age as compared to midwives without such experience.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

based on these results we suggest more communication and transfer of information about the advances in perinatal care and exchange of knowledge between the staff at general and university hospitals. Establishment of platforms for inter-professional discussions about ethically difficult situations in perinatal care, might benefit the management of very preterm labour and birth.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months' corrected age of infants born at 22 weeks of gestation

BACKGROUND

Increased survival rates for extremely low birth weight infants have been reported. However, survival rates and prognoses of extremely preterm infants, such as infants born at 22 weeks of gestation, are still poor.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate such infants' long-term outcomes, developmental assessments were performed.

METHODS

Seven infants with gestational age of 22 weeks were delivered in our hospital from 2005 to 2008. One infant was a stillbirth despite resuscitation in the delivery room. Six infants, 4 boys and 2 girls, with a gestational age of 22 weeks (range 22(3/7)-22(6/7) weeks), were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Birth weights ranged from 514 to 710 g. None of the infants suffered from sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, or severe intraventricular hemorrhage.

RESULTS

The survival rate was 85.7% (6/7) as a percentage of deliveries and 100% (6/6) as a percentage of NICU admissions. None of the infants suffered from deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy. Six infants were available for developmental assessments at 18 months' corrected age. Three infants showed normal developmental quotients, and 3 infants showed developmental delay.

CONCLUSION

In our study, all infants admitted to the NICU at a gestational age of 22 weeks were discharged from the hospital alive. This might suggest that infants after 22 weeks' gestation be considered eligible for active treatment in Japan, though considering the size of the material, generalizibility of the results cannot be considered guaranteed.

Prediction of death for extremely premature infants in a population-based cohort

OBJECTIVE

Although gestational age (GA) is often used as the primary basis for counseling and decision-making for extremely premature infants, a study of tertiary care centers showed that additional factors could improve prediction of outcomes. Our objective was to determine how such a model could improve predictions for a population-based cohort.

METHODS

From 2005 to 2008, data were collected prospectively for the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, which encompasses 90% of NICUs in California. For infants born at GAs of 22 to 25 weeks, we assessed the ability of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 5-factor model to predict survival rates, compared with a model using GA alone.

RESULTS

In the study cohort of 4527 infants, 3647 received intensive care. Survival rates were 53% for the whole cohort and 66% for infants who received intensive care. In multivariate analyses of data for infants who received intensive care, prenatal steroid exposure, female sex, singleton birth, and higher birth weight (per 100-g increment) were each associated with a reduction in the risk of death before discharge similar to that for a 1-week increase in GA. The multivariate model increased the ability to group infants in the highest and lowest risk categories (mortality rates of >80% and <20%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In a population-based cohort, the addition of prenatal steroid exposure, sex, singleton or multiple birth, and birth weight to GA allowed for improved prediction of rates of survival to discharge for extremely premature infants.

Impact of ethics and economics on end-of-life decisions in an Indian neonatal unit

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this article was to describe how providers in an Indian NICU reach life-or-death treatment decisions.

METHODS

Qualitative in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis were conducted at an Indian nonprofit private tertiary institution that provided advanced neonatal care under conditions of resource scarcity.

RESULTS

Compared with American and European units with similar technical capabilities, the unit studied maintained a much higher threshold for treatment initiation and continuation (range: 28-32 completed gestational weeks). We observed that complex, interrelated socioeconomic reasons influenced specific treatment decisions. Providers desired to protect families and avoid a broad range of perceived harms: they were reluctant to risk outcomes with chronic disability; they openly factored scarcity of institutional resources; they were sensitive to local, culturally entrenched intrafamilial dynamics; they placed higher regard for "precious" infants; and they felt relatively powerless to prevent gender discrimination. Formal or regulatory guidelines were either lacking or not controlling.

CONCLUSIONS

In a tertiary-level academic Indian NICU, multiple factors external to predicted clinical survival of a preterm newborn influence treatment decisions. Providers adjust their decisions about withdrawing or withholding treatment on the basis of pragmatic considerations. Numerous issues related to resource scarcity are relevant, and providers prioritize outcomes that affect stakeholders other than the newborn. These findings may have implications for initiatives that seek to improve global neonatal health.

Trends in outcomes for very preterm infants in the southern region of Sweden over a 10-year period

AIM

To investigate trends in mortality and morbidity in very preterm infants.

METHODS

Population-based perinatal register; liveborn infants 22 + 0 to 31 + 6 gestational weeks were investigated (time period 1995-2004). Time trends for mortality and common morbidities were explored using logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Data from 1614 liveborn infants were included. There was an increase in live born infants below 25 gestational weeks, annual odds ratio (OR) 1.15 (95% CI: 1.08-1.23) and a decrease in mortality annual OR 0.82 (95% CI: 0.69-0.98). The rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and sepsis increased during the study period, annual ORs of 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04-1.17) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03-1.16). The duration of mechanical ventilation increased for surviving infants <25 gestational weeks (p = 0.003), while the duration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) increased for infants <28 gestational weeks (p = <0.001). There were no changes in the rates of intraventricular haemorrhages (IVH, 3-4), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP, 3-5), seizures or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

CONCLUSION

During the 10-year period changes in mortality and morbidity were most pronounced for infants with GA <28 gestational weeks. The increasing rate of sepsis was present in infants <28 gestational weeks, whereas the increase in BPD was demonstrated in the whole study population <32 gestational weeks.

Flaws in the assessment of the best interests of the newborn

We examined the literature on ethical decisions regarding neonates, to assess whether personal beliefs and prejudices influence end-of-life decisions taken by caregivers. Studies show that religion and familiarity with disability influence caregivers' decisions, whereas the influx of already being a parent, age, sex and professional experience is controverse. Caregivers' attitudes towards end-of-life decisions are also affected by personal concerns about litigation, prejudices and their view of disability. The concept of 'poor quality of life' is widely used as a reference in end-of-life decisions, but this can be interpreted differently, leaving room for a wide range of personal viewpoints. In most cases, parents' opinions are considered important and are sometimes the main determinant in decision making. However, it is unclear whether parents' decisions are based on their own wishes or on the best interests of the newborn.

CONCLUSION

In neonatal end-of-life decisions, patients may not receive cures based only on their best interests.

The ethics of delivery-room resuscitation

Perinatal care continues to improve and the number of extremely preterm babies delivered increases. What is the outcome for those babies? Under what circumstances should we not initiate resuscitation or under what circumstances should we discontinue support? How accurate and predictive are the data we have and how can these be improved? Who should make the decisions and how should they be made? Should we follow different guidelines in different settings? The following narrative will examine some of these questions but cannot answer them all.

Short-term outcome predictors in infants born at 23-24 gestational weeks

AIM

Outcome is uncertain in infants born at 23-24 gestational weeks. The aim of the present study was to identify possible early predictors of outcome in these infants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from the Swedish medical birth register (MBR) for live-born infants with gestational ages (GAs) 23 and 24 weeks, born during the time-period 2000-2002, were analysed in relation to short-term outcomes, that is survival and survival without severe brain damage (intraventricular haemorrhage [IVH] grades 3 and 4 and/or periventricular leukomalacia [PVL]).

RESULTS

In 57 infants born at 23 gestational weeks, survival was associated with birthweight (BW) (p = 0.018) and 5-min Apgar score (p = 0.020) on univariate analyses. In 99 infants born at 24 weeks of gestation, survival without severe brain damage correlated with BW (p = 0.039), birth type (singleton/multiple) (p = 0.017) and Apgar score at 1, 5 and 10 min (p = 0.028, 0.014 and 0.030, respectively). The best model for predicting survival without severe brain damage in infants born at 24 gestational weeks was based on 5-min Apgar score and birth type. The small number of live-born infants at 23 weeks of gestation did not allow for multiple logistic regression analyses.

CONCLUSION

The 5-min Apgar score is associated with short-term outcome in live-born infants at 23-24 gestational weeks. The association is stronger for infants born at 24 weeks of gestation.

Treatment of preterm infants at the lower margin of viability--a comparison of guidelines in German speaking countries

INTRODUCTION

The treatment of preterm infants at the lower margin of viability is carried out amid growing tension between increasing survival rates, uncertain clinical outcomes, and financial and ethical considerations. The three German speaking countries have released guidelines on this issue, based on a previous common guideline. That is why the differences in national guidelines between the three countries is of peculiar interest in respect of medical ethics.

METHODS

Current guidelines from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria were compared and similarities and differences discussed.

RESULTS

The three countries' guidelines follow broadly similar principles, with almost identical intellectual underpinnings and formulations. Some national differences are apparent, nevertheless.

DISCUSSION

All three guidelines call for a pragmatic approach. National guidelines can only predetermine the framework, with long-term collection of sound local data on morbidity and mortality forming a prerequisite for decision-making, and also in discussions with parents.

Decision-making in the delivery room: a survey of neonatologists

OBJECTIVE

To examine influences on neonatologists' decision-making regarding resuscitation of extremely premature infants.

STUDY DESIGN

A mailed survey of Illinois neonatologists evaluated influences on resuscitation. Personal and parentally opposed (that is, acting against parental wishes) gray zones of resuscitation were defined, with the lower limit (LL) the gestational age at or below which resuscitation would be consistently withheld and the upper limit (UL) above which resuscitation was mandatory.

RESULT

Among the 85 respondents, LL and UL of the personal and parentally opposed gray zones were median 22 and 25 weeks, respectively. Neonatologists with an UL personal gray zone <25 completed weeks were significantly more fearful of litigation, more likely to have received didactic/continuing medical education teaching, and less likely to always consider parents' opinions in resuscitation decisions. Neonatologists with an UL parentally opposed gray zone <25 completed weeks were more fearful of litigation.

CONCLUSION

Neonatologists perceive a 'gray zone' of resuscitative practices and should understand that external influences may affect their delivery room resuscitation practices.

Medical legal issues in the prevention of prematurity

Preterm birth remains the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the world today. This article discusses ways the treatment team can inform parents of probable outcomes and help them reach decisions about treatment for the newborn under emotionally fraught conditions. In addition to supporting the patient, these approaches may help the clinician avoid malpractice litigation.

Physicians' use of guidelines and attitudes to withholding and withdrawing treatment for extremely premature neonates in Norway

OBJECTIVES

To examine if explicit written guidelines for withholding and withdrawing treatment for extremely premature infants exist and are used in obstetric and paediatric units in Norway, and to explore changes in attitudes and which factors are considered important when making decisions regarding life support.

METHODS

Cross-sectional postal survey addressed to the medical directors of all the 46 obstetric and the 28 paediatric units in Norway.

RESULTS

The response rate was 84%. Half the units had guidelines for withholding and one quarter for withdrawing life support. Most of them were non-written informal guidelines. The most important factors for withholding treatment were gestational age and vitality while risk of severe disability and future quality of life were the major concerns for withdrawing treatment. The mean reported gestational age threshold for resuscitating infants decreased from 23.6 weeks (SD +/- 0.6) in a study from 1998 to 23.0 weeks (SD +/- 0.8) in 2005 (p = 0.001). Physicians did not perceive this change in threshold, but 1/3 felt that decisions regarding provision of life support had become more difficult. Almost half of the responding physicians agreed with the statement that Norway is too liberal in its provision of life support to extremely premature infants.

CONCLUSION

The criteria for whom to provide life support or not are imprecise and may be subject to unperceived changes. Explicit local guidelines for the decision-making process may secure legitimacy and fair treatment options.