Abstract
Abstract A recent trend in the professional literature has seen articles on nutrition and hydration that focus not on new techniques to provide nourishment but rather on withholding or withdrawing food and fluids from patients, particularly those who are critically and terminally ill. Neonatal intensive care unit nurses are aware of such discussions involving newborns, and recent legal developments regarding infants born with congenital anomalies or extreme low birth weight and gestational age are discussed. Resources in nursing codes of ethics and nursing ethics texts are reviewed, together with articles in the professional literature. A brief description of the various positions taken in the debate over whether to provide nutritional support is given. While the author personally favors the provision (rather than the withdrawal) of fluids and nutrition to patients, he argues that all pediatric nurses have a professional obligation to educate themselves on the ethical questions involved so as to be able to take a position with regard to their patients, particularly in an era when economic issues may increasingly influence such treatment decisions.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
